Through Life and Death
by Dreaming-Paradise
Summary: "I may be a trained criminal," Ruby started with a soft voice, grabbing Weiss' full attention, "but I'm also your girlfriend... And, I'm your girlfriend above anything else." Trust is one of the most important things in a relationship, but exactly how far will that go? (Fastburn)
1. Prologue

**Prologue:  
_\- _Carrie Underwood - See You Again-  
**

_Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh  
__Said goodbye, turned around  
__And you were gone, gone, gone  
__Faded into the setting sun,  
__Slipped away  
__But I won't cry  
__'Cause I know I'll never be lonely  
__For you are the stars to me,  
__You are the light I follow  
I will see you again, oh  
This is not where it ends_

_"Ru-"_

Everything was so dark. . . She was so cold. . . She couldn't move.

_"Leave her be."_

She blinked her silver eyes open, staring up as the surface of the water as it seemed to grow further and further away. She felt like her blood had turned to ice and there was a dull, almost nonexistent throbbing in her head. She opened her mouth to make a noise, but nothing but bubbles of air came out as cold water poured in. She couldn't feel anything, but somehow she knew exactly where she was. She'd failed. . . Her family, her father, her sister. . . Her friends, Blake, Nora, Ren, Jaune, Pyrrha. . . She'd even failed her girlfriend. . . They were gone. It was her fault and now they would never be avenged, she'd gone a step too far.

_"Ruby!"_

_"Hang on. She's not quite there yet."_

The current seemed to pick up as she slid in and out of consciousness, she could feel water rushing around her and her body ever so slightly nudging the ground. Red and black started to flood her vision and she closed her eyes, accepting her fate without hesitation. Even if she did manage to save herself, she didn't have anything left to live for. . .

_"Now go."_

_"Ruby!" _Upon hearing her name being called, she opened one eye to see a blinding, blurry white figure diving above her. Were those. . . Wings? _"Close your eyes, Ruby." _Weiss. . .? It couldn't be, she was gone. . . Unwillingly, her eyes closed and she slipped into unconsciousness. _"I promised you, Ruby, I'll be here for you through life and death. Just let go. . ."_

* * *

**I began developing this fanfic when I first started writing My Princess, and then I begun writing it in August of 2019. This story still has a lot of development to be done, but so far, this is my favorite fic I've written yet.**

**If this fanfic is not updated monthly, it is because I haven't had time to continue writing. I want to be 3-4 chapters ahead before posting a new chapter.**  
**So have patience!**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let me know what you guys think!**  
**~Dixie**

**(this fic can also be found on Ao3)**


	2. Daily Routine

I figured I would toss in chapter 1 since the prologue is only 200-300 words long. Enjoy!

* * *

_**Chapter One**_  
_**Daily Routine**_  
**[Weiss] **  
Date: Monday, September 12th  
_I should be free now  
I should be fine  
But the life I fought for  
Still isn't mine_

It was the same routine every day. . .

She woke up, freshened up and got dressed, fixed her hair the way she wanted it for that particular day, judged her appearance and her scar, then joined her father in the office. Time ticked by slowly, agonizingly slow, but she was used to it. It was rare if anything interesting happened, and even if something did, she would be ordered to stay behind and continue working.

Her life had been this way for the past year since she'd turned twenty-two; her father had decided she'd had enough 'freedom' and insisted she come to work with him, he'd given her a schedule to follow. It'd been pretty easy to adjust to, despite having to rise with the sun.

Today would be different, though. Her father was heading out on a business trip for at least two months, leaving the company in her hands. This would be her chance to prove she was ready to inherit their company and she would be able to change things, she would cleanse her family's name and bring honor back.

Since her father took over the Schnee Company, their reputation had gone downhill. Their name was no longer praised, her grandfather's hard work had gone to waste. Well, when she took over, she would fix everything her father had done and correct his mistakes. One of those was allowing the faunus to work among them, even if they were slaves. Those filthy animals were the reason that her father would return home in a rage, she blamed them for the fact she'd never had the loving parents she'd wanted.

Why wouldn't she?

Humans had done nothing to the faunus, yet they decide to make their lives miserable. Just last week, their system had been disabled and private information was stolen within a short amount of time that it was down. Two months ago, all of their cargo had gone missing from a train making its way to Atlas. That loss had cost their company millions. . . She was ready to take over the company and restore her family's name, but her first step towards proving such a thing to her father was not one she wanted to take. . . Weiss would need to find a husband.

The woman sighed and opened her bedroom door, her eyes snapped up immediately when she heard a voice greeting her, "Good morning!" It took her a moment to realize that Neptune was standing in front of her with his regular flirtatious smile, "You look stunning, Snow Angel."

Neptune was obviously the best candidate, her father approved of him and they'd known each other since they were children, and he knew as much about their company as she did. It was also as clear as day that the young man had a thing for her, so what other choice did she have? Her father wanted them to become an item anyway. . .

"Good morning to you too, Neptune," Weiss greeted her friend, "and thank you." She despised the nickname he'd chosen for her, but she did her best to tolerate it. "You look pretty alright yourself," she smiled and Neptune rolled his eyes, "so do you have a new girlfriend?" Weiss asked as she turned and started down the hallway, Neptune following closely behind her.

There was just one problem: Neptune was a player, Casanova, he played with girls' hearts and tossed them away when he was finished with them, or vice versa. She'd made it clear to him that she had no intention of ever dating him, so he stepped back to play the role of the best friend and had himself a new girlfriend every two weeks. He'd managed to keep the last one for at least a month before she decided she'd had enough of him.

Weiss did not blame her one bit.

"Nope!" Neptune said, shrugging, "But I'll find one eventually."

_'Alright, Weiss. . .' _The woman whispered to herself, drawing in a deep sigh, _'__You can do this, it's for your family name. You have to do this, besides, Neptune is a good friend. Can't be that hard.' _Weiss glanced to her friend, "Well, I was thinking, maybe I could finally take you up on your offer?" Three years ago, Neptune had confessed to her and asked her out, but Weiss turned him away. She didn't love him. . .

"What?" Neptune stopped in front of her, "Weiss, are you sure? I don't want to force you into a relationship you don't want to be in."

She forced a smile, "Well I'll hopefully be inheriting the company soon, and I need a husband, or at least a fiance, and I can't think of anybody else other than my best friend." She didn't love him, she didn't think she would ever come to love him, he was just her childhood friend and he would remain as such. Weiss wanted somebody who would love her, not just because of her beauty, not because of her name, but because of who she was. With her father around, she would never have the chance to experience that.

It was either she chose her future husband, or her father forced her into a loveless marriage. Neptune claimed he loved her, but Weiss was sure that her Father had forced the crush onto him and manipulated him into thinking it was real.

She knew if she dated him, she would be expected to marry him. But, what other choice does she have?

Neptune shrugged, "If that's what you want. . . Anyway, your Father informed me that he will be very busy in the office today, and he wants us to spend some time together. So, where do you want to go?" He asked, pulling his phone out to call a chauffeur to prepare a ride.

Weiss hummed, "I was hoping to visit the Mall after work, but I guess we could go now."

Neptune laughed, "Why? So you can spend all day rummaging through new clothes and makeup?" Weiss shot him a glare and the man rolled his eyes, "Alright, the mall it is. I'll try to find something to look at in there. Hmm, actually, hey Weiss? What do you think about me spicing up my look a little bit? Leather jackets are back in style!" The man pretended to pull a jacket over his shoulders and spun, raising a brow and grinning at his friend.

"I think you would look absolutely _ridiculous_." Weiss said with a chuckle, Neptune rolled his eyes and bringing the phone up to his ear.

"Hey, Falcon, my dude!" The sound of a man snapping at Neptune caught Weiss' attention and a small smirk came to her lips, "Okay, okay, sorry. So, Weiss and I need a ride to the mall. You free?" . . . "Okay, great! We'll be outside!"

Neptune clicked his phone off, "He says hello."

* * *

[Ruby]

"What do you suggest we do with all this money?"

A bag was tossed to the side as a tall blonde with unruly hair entered the abandoned cabin she and her partners were staying in, the woman crossed her arms behind her head and stretched, letting out a contented hum before throwing herself onto an old leather couch.

"We don't do anything with it," two more people stepped into the run-down building, the younger one shutting and flicking the latch down to lock the door, "remember, Yang, anything we steal goes straight to the Boss. These are our missions and we'll be paid later." The girl with a bow in her hair took a seat beside Yang, who lifted her head up to place it in the other's lap.

"Oh come on! We spent a month stalkin' that dude, and we just barely escaped the police this time! I think we deserve a lil' bit of it." Yang tried to persuade the two, gesturing to the sack of money sitting beside the door.

"Don't you remember what happened last time you convinced us to keep half the goods?" A young girl with short crimson red hair said quietly, sitting criss-crossed in the floor in front of the couch. A pair of lilac eyes glanced towards the younger girl, sighing when her gaze met deep pools of silver.

Yang closed her eyes, "Yeah," a smirk came to her lips, "but I got a beautiful, sexy girlfriend out of it!" The black-haired girl simply stick out her tongue, "Ohh, would ya like to do more with that tongue of yours? Because I'm totally down!"

"Yang! Not in front of Ruby!" The girl hissed as Yang reached up to cup her cheek.

Ruby rolled her eyes and stood to her feet, "The house is all yours. Text me when y'all are finished. . ." She said as she glanced towards her sister and Blake, who were already in the middle of making out. The young girl let out an annoyed sigh, forcibly erasing the image from her head. "Or, y'know, I can just stay the night in the truck again. . ."

Without another word, she grabbed her phone and left. Once she was outside and seated in her father's old red truck, she checked the messages sitting unread on her home screen. One of them was an alert for a new mission within the next few weeks, sent to her by an anonymous email address that she could only guess was her Boss; Ruby skimmed over the email and hummed quietly before marking it as read and moving on to her text message.

_P: I just got my allowance raised! Would you like to accompany me to the mall today?_

Ruby allowed a small smile to come to her lips and sent a simple 'sure' back to her friend, she clicked her phone off and started the vehicle. She took one last look at their rundown house and released a sigh, "We'll find a better place to live one day." she whispered, "I just havta work harder and play my part. . ." If it meant helping her sister and Blake find a real home, she didn't care what she would have to do. When they'd been orphaned, Yang had been so desperate for a job that she took the first one she believed she was qualified for, which, unfortunately, not a very good one.

Thankfully, her sister had been able to convince their boss to allow her to train as Yang's apprentice, having found her endurance and agility useful. She'd much rather be using her skills for something else, but she had to admit that their job kept their lives interesting. It offered Yang the thrill she'd been searching for her whole life, and Ruby was helping people just as she claimed she would be doing, but all for the wrong reasons. The more people they helped, the more people lost their careers and/or their lives. . . It really depended on what their boss planned to do with what they brought back.

Ruby sighed and pulled out of the overgrown driveway, turning her truck around and riding down through the path through the trees. The house they lived in was abandoned and their boss bought the property, offering the land to them as a reward for all that they've done. Up until then, the sisters had been staying in a crowded room at their company's headquarters, having no other place to stay. Of course, they could've called their father and asked to return home, but they didn't want to burden him. He'd been so proud of them for starting their own lives, they couldn't just head back home and become dependent on him again. He wouldn't care, but it just wouldn't sit right with them. . .

The young girl turned onto the dirt road heading towards town and removed her phone when it buzzed from the console. She glanced at the text, sighing when she saw a familiar number at the top of the screen. Frustration and disgust rose up inside of her and she slung her phone into the passenger's seat, focusing her attention on the road.

She couldn't just say no, though.

Twenty minutes later, she found herself sitting in the parking lot in front of the mall, waiting for her best friend to show up. She, ironically, lived closer to town than her friend did and always arrived early despite her friend being a very punctual person. Ruby sat up when she heard the sound of an engine approaching and she smiled, recognizing the vehicle as her friend's, she stepped out of her truck and locked it with a click of a button, turning to approach the green car that had parked on the other side of the lot.

"Penny!" Ruby greeted as the redhead exited her own vehicle, the other woman gave a wave and quickly locked the car before jogging over to Ruby with a bright smile on her freckled face.

"Ruby!" Penny smiled, the two of them sharing a brief hug before turning and starting for the mall, "So, how is work going?"

The red clad woman heaved a sigh, she'd been prepared for that question. . . Penny was concerned about her well-being, and as far as she was aware, Ruby was working at a small restaurant in Mantle and lived in a tiny apartment not far from it. She couldn't just tell her friend that she was homeless and was practically a criminal hiding in plain view, that wouldn't end too well.

"Pretty well," Ruby avoided eye contact with Penny, "we just got paid today, so that's good! Though, I feel that my hours may change here soon." She was twenty years old now, and their boss had made an exception for her when she was eighteen and nineteen as she was still new to the system. Yang had been trained by Blake, one of the company's top spies, and in turn, Yang trained Ruby. Ruby feared once their boss grew tired of having her around, she and her sister would be separated.

"That's good though." Penny grinned, "More hours means more money, right?"

Ruby forced a grin, "Right!"

_I don't know. . ._

* * *

Allow me to clear up possible confusion.  
No, Weiss is not interested in Neptune at all, they are just friends and will stay that way.  
Yes, Yang, Blake, and Ruby are basically homeless.  
No, the text Ruby received first WAS NOT Penny.

I'm open to answering more questions!


	3. First Impressions

**(Actually forgot to transfer this part from Ao3 to )  
**

**First things first (my draft of the chapter didn't save this, bad Ao3)**

**Keep Moving Forward - Monty Oum**

**June 22, 1981 – February 1, 2015**

**Thank you for bringing this wonderful show to life, your memory will never be forgotten.**

**Replying to comments! ((just skip over this if you want))  
[Combine117] - Who knows? Jacques may not even be involved!  
[IanAlphaAxel] - Thanks!  
[Unnamed Stranger] - Seriously, I always look forward to your reviews. Anyway, who says this story is gonna be short~? I can tell you, it's gonna be a wild ride, that's for sure. And yeah! You'll see Neptune and Weiss' dynamic in the next chapter!**

* * *

_**First Impressions  
**__**-Selena Gomez - Bang a Drum-**_  
Date: Monday, September 12th  
**[Ruby]**  
_You got me floating ten feet off the ground  
It's like "Whoa"  
I'm up but I can't come down  
My heart's pumping, it's working overtime  
I got them crazy butterflies_

_"Ya see, Ruby, there's this person called a Soulmate, okay?" Ruby nodded and Yang nervously continued, fiddling with her fingers as she spoke, "Uncle Qrow told me that when you meet this person. . . You feel some kinda spark, feels like a brief bolt of electricity. It's your soul tellin' you that this person is your life partner, or somethin' like that. . ."_

_"Okay?" Ruby tilted her head, gazing up at the eleven-year old, "So what you do when you meet a Soulmate? Where can you find them?"_

_Yang sighed and shook her head, "It's not multiple people, Ruby, it's one person. Usually. . . Qrow says you fall in love with this person. It's love at first sight, and you're bonded with them forever, and you have an unexplainable attraction towards them. I personally don't believe that. It's just a fairytale."_

_A small smile came to Ruby's lips, "I wanna meet my soulmate."_

"Oooo, what do you think about this one?" Penny asked, drawing Ruby's attention back to the freckled redhead. Penny held a black and green dress skirt to her waist and a beige top to her chest, "I don't want something simple, so do you think this'll be good?"

Ruby smiled, "Yeah, it looks good," she said as she tilted her head, "but what're you shopping for? Didn't your father buy you some new clothes last week" Time flew by for Ruby, she sometimes couldn't remember what day it was, much less the month. She lost track when her sister got the job and her life became hectic; it was August, right? September? The air was getting cold, so she was going to go with September.

"I told you," Penny started as she draped the outfit over the side of the buggy, "Father got invited to a business party next Monday! I'm going, too!" Penny's green eyes lit up, "Oh, he told me I could bring a friend! Would you like to accompany me?" Ruby shrugged and Penny laughed, "Well get over here, we have to find an outfit for you as well!"

Ruby was more of a T-Shirt and blue jeans kind of girl, but Penny seemed enthusiastic about this, the least she could do was humor her and try on some skirts. "How about this red one?" Penny held up a dark red top decorated with white roses and green leaves, the skirt was almost tropical-looking.

"Who'd wear that? No." Ruby muttered, turning away from the outfit and browsing through the rack, making disgusted and confused faces as she flipped through the skirts. Were all of them flashy and ridiculous-looking? _'__Is it possible to just go wearing my regular clothes?'_ Penny wanted her to wear a skirt, though. . .

Well, if it was next Monday she could just make the skirt.

Penny's gasp caught Ruby's attention and she looked up, frowning when she noticed her friend's big grin. "Don't look now," she followed her line of view, "but it's Weiss Schnee!" Alarm bells went off inside of Ruby's head, she frowned when her eyes locked a white-haired woman entering the shop with a very bored looking man behind her, probably her boyfriend by the looks of it.

The woman had her long, white hair tied up into a side-ponytail and light icy blue eyes that caused Ruby's heart to beat faster when they panned over to her. A quick, almost electrical spark coursed through her veins, feeling as though something inside of her had suddenly been let free. It was an icy hottish kind of feeling, and somehow, the world seemed to look brighter. . .

Surprise flickered across the other woman's face, followed by confusion before turning back to look at the man behind her when he muttered something.

_'Was that it. . .? Was that the spark. . .?' _

Ruby cleared her mind and blinked herself back to reality. "Who?" Ruby asked, wracking her brain for any recognition of the woman. The name sounded familiar, but it stopped there. _'__Whoever she is, she's beautiful.'_ Ruby thought, willing away the blush that came to her cheeks when she realized she said it out loud, she was quick to turn her attention back to Penny when 'Weiss' glanced in their direction again, probably having felt Ruby's eyes on her. _'__Fuck, she heard me. Don't be creepy, Ruby.'_

"I think she was talking about you," the blue-haired man whispered to the woman, Ruby glanced towards them out of the corner of her eye, "don't pay her any attention. She could be like the last person who tried to hit on you. . ." The woman nodded her silent agreement. Ruby's heart skipped a beat as the woman turned away, and Ruby had to tear her eyes away from her to refocus it on Penny.

"I should probably try these on first," Penny muttered suddenly, "alright, to the dressing room! I'd better get there before Weiss does, she'd for sure hog every one of them."

At the mention of the name, something flashed through her mind far too quickly for her to be able to grasp it and Ruby froze, blinking as she returned to reality when she heard Penny's voice. "Are you okay?" It took a moment for her to shake away the sudden feeling of nostalgia and reply to her friend.

"Yeah, I'm fine. . ." She eyed the skirts again, "Y'know, I was thinking that I could just make mine. . ."

Penny met her eyes and shrugged, "Sure! If you think you can." The redhead dropped another skirt into the cart, Ruby cringed at the sight of the price tag draped over the side of it. She couldn't afford even a small meal, considering her teammates hadn't been paid yet, and her best friend was purchasing countless expensive outfits. When they left this isle, they would make their way to the cosmetics where Penny would spend yet another hour browsing before finally settling on what she wanted to buy.

"Alright!" Ruby sighed as Penny got behind the shopping cart and went to the dressing room, "I'm going to try some of these on. You can browse around, let me know if you want anything! I know you don't get paid much, so I can get it for you!" Ruby wasn't going to take advantage of Penny's money like that, she would rather purchase anything she wanted with her own money.

She'd take food over clothes right now, though. Yang and Blake made just enough to keep the three of them decently fed, but they ran off of adrenaline during ninety-percent of their missions. Ruby fell asleep many nights with an empty stomach; she wasn't underweight, Yang made sure of that, but she didn't feel like her body was receiving the proper nutrients it required.

As Penny grabbed her clothes and stepped into a stall, Ruby leaned against the cart to wait on her and closed her eyes. "Hey, Ruby!" Ruby made a sound in response, "Thank you for accompanying me. Ciel was too busy to come. . ."

Ruby chuckled, "No problem," she said happily, "my sister and her girlfriend are staying over. So I was just happy to get outta the house," wait that probably sounded rude, "and we haven't met up in weeks, of course I wouldn't miss the chance to see you again." Ruby glanced warily around the shop, "Even if you are shopping. . ."

Ruby wasn't too big on fashion, she always wore either her red hoodie and a pair of black jeans, or her leather jacket, a pair of blue jeans, and her old athlete's shirt from high school. If she had to be honest, the shirt was a little small on her, but it's not like she had much else to wear.

The smell of Italian food drifted into her nose and the redhead snapped up, whipping around in the direction of the in-store restaurant across from the clothing store.

"Hey, uh, Penny? I'll be waitin' outside the store! Okay?" She called, ignoring the glares she received from other customers. Penny raised her thumb over the stall and replied with a chipper 'understood', Ruby quickly made her way out of the clothing store after checking the cart

"Move!" She was roughly shoved out of the way by a tall, broad, young man with brown hair combed back. He was followed by three other men, who sent her scowls and all-too familiar flirtatious smirks. She moved to one of the benches screwed into the floor of the mall, seating herself so that she was facing the restaurant that was practically buzzing with people; her stomach rumbled as a portly man took his tray and approached a table, her silver eyes locked on the tray's contents until he sat down, his back facing her.

Gods, she could go for Italian food right now; it smelled absolutely delicious and she could practically taste it! This was torture! Why did she agree to go shopping with Penny? She knew there'd be food she wouldn't be able to buy! Then again, it was better than staying at the house listening to her sister and Blake.

Ruby heard the sounds of heels clacking behind her, but she paid no mind to it. "Excuse me." That voice, she knew that voice! Ruby snapped upright when she heard somebody from behind greeting her, the voice was rather firm and cold, indicating that the person was not in the brightest of moods. Ruby turned around and her heart jumped to her throat when her silver eyes met with an icy pair of light blue, but she quickly regained her composure. "Does this belong to you?"

She glanced down to see the shorter woman holding a cell phone with a faded red case and brief panic rolled through her. Was that her phone? Certainly not. Checking inside of her jacket pocket for the electronic device, Ruby sighed in slight annoyance as her hand reached into a hole she'd repaired just days before.

"Yeah, it does. Thank you. . ." Weiss simply stared at her in mild confusion as Ruby quietly took the phone back. Ruby stared at her for a moment, replaying the woman's name in her head multiple times. Nothing came up. . . Why was it so familiar?

"It might be best to invest in a new jacket," the white-haired woman muttered, eyeing her old coat with disdain and disgust that she didn't bother hiding, "you're lucky your phone wasn't stolen." Ruby glanced up to her and muttered an apology again. Her gaze drifted from the icy blue eyes that seemed to be crafted from snowflakes towards a fresh, jagged scar across her left eye. The single imperfection only caused Ruby's heart rate to pick up, she watched as Weiss moved away from her to sit on a bench a little ways away.

Ruby jerked her attention to the floor, drawing in a deep breath before lifting her gaze to look at Weiss again. "I like your scar," she whispered, Weiss' head snapped in her direction and the shorter woman frowned, Ruby panicked, "I mean, it's really pretty! I mean not that you ain't pretty because you're very beautiful I just think that the scar makes you look even more pretty so I love it, and I should probably stop talking now."

A few moments of silence passed between them.

"I like your eyes. I've never seen the color silver before. . ."

Ruby's head whipped back towards the woman, her eyes widening in surprise as the words sunk in. Did Weiss just compliment her. . .? "Tha- thank you," she said with a small smile, "my name's Ruby."

Weiss offered a kind smile in return, "It's nice to meet you, Ruby."

Before Ruby could even think of a response, Weiss' phone buzzed and the white-haired woman sighed, Ruby's face fell as the smile faded from the woman's lips. _'No, smile again. . . Please?'_ Without a word, Weiss stood and stalked back into the store, whispering a few incoherent swears under her breath as she disappeared.

"Well she didn't seem to be too happy."

Ruby shrieked and spun around, finding Penny standing behind her with two bags of clothes in her hands, "Penny, where did you come from?!"

"I came out behind Weiss," Penny muttered, examining her friend with a confused expression, "Ruby, are you okay? Your face is all red and flustered." When Ruby didn't respond, the redhead stepped towards her and pressed her spare hand to the woman's chest, "Your heart is racing. Should I call an ambulance?!"

Ruby stepped away from her friend and nudged her hand off of her, "I'm fine, Penny," she smiled, "you just scared me." Her silver eyes glanced towards the Italian restaurant and her stomach rumbled, "Y'know, since we're already here, maybe we can get some food?"

"I do feel a little hungry. . ." Penny mused out loud, "It has been exactly three hours since I've eaten something today. Sure, I'll pay."

Ruby glanced to the clothing store as Penny walked away.

_'Weiss. . .?'_

* * *

[Later]

"This is delicious!" Penny grinned as she took another big bite of her chicken cacciatore, taking no time to savour the taste and devouring the food. Ruby briefly wondered if she could even taste it, "Are you going to eat?" The redhead asked, gesturing to the plate Ruby had nudged to the edge of the table. "Are you feeling okay? Is it something to do with-"

Ruby's attention turned to her friend and she cut her off, waving her hand nonchalantly, "I've eaten my fill," it was a lie, "I'm savin' the rest for my sister and her girlfriend." Oh how badly she wanted to dig into the food and satisfy the starving pain in her stomach. . . Blake and Yang were probably just as hungry as she was, so she would leave the food untouched. "It'd be rude of me not to save them any when they always bring me something." Ruby smiled, "Thank you for paying for the meal, though! I'll pay you back someday."

Penny shook her head, "You do not need to pay me back, Ruby! You are my friend! That's payment enough!" Really, she was too sweet for her own good. Ruby often wondered if her friend even knew how cruel the world was, or how quickly any sliver of happiness could be stolen and crushed. Although, having spent two years surrounded by chaos and crime, Ruby found it relaxing to be around her chipper, energetic, and somewhat strange best friend.

"If you say so," Ruby replied with a small smile, her eyes glancing past Penny, "I'll still wanna pay you back, though."

"Hey Ruby?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you keep glancing at the clothing store? Do you want to go back in?"

Ruby's eyes widened and she shook her head, "N-no! I just. . . I'm just watching-. . ." She fell silent when her friend began to laugh and her face started to heat up, her attention immediately snapped back over to the clothing store when somebody walked out and she could practically feel Penny smirking at her.

"Ruby," the other girl said carefully, "do you have a crush?" Ruby glanced to her friend and heaved a sigh when she noticed the smug smile on Penny's face. It was a little humiliating to know that the redhead could read her like an open book, and a bit unsettling. If she was that easy to read, Penny would easily figure out that Ruby was lying to her about her job, and she couldn't risk that.

"No," Ruby denied, "I was just thinking that I need to, um, expand my wardrobe!" Yeah, that would do, "After all, I basically wear the same clothes everyday." Well, it wasn't a total lie. . . She did need to buy more clothes, and Penny did offer to pay for them, right?

Penny stared at the other woman for long second, as though she was slowly uncovering all of Ruby's secrets. Penny squinted. "Is this because Weiss suggested you buy a new jacket?"

Ruby hesitated, "Maybe."

Her friend grinned and shot up from the table, "Allow me to take everything to the vehicle, okay? That way we don't have to carry so much stuff! You go on in there!" Penny smirked at her as she gathered everything up, "If you run into Weiss, try not to flirt with her this time."

"I didn't flirt!"

Penny just laughed and swung her bag over her shoulder, carrying the two to-go boxes with her other arm, "I'll be back in a couple of minutes." Ruby nodded and rose from her chair, clutching the hem of her jacket as Penny walked off and Ruby began to approach the store. She ignored the questioning glances she received as she entered again, Ruby's eyes immediately scanned her surroundings for the white-haired woman before shaking her head and muttering a 'no' to herself.

_'What did you tell yourself earlier?__'_ Ruby scolded herself, _'Don't be a creep!'_

Admittedly, it would be difficult for her to refrain from tracking the woman down. Although she meant no harm, her name caused alarm bells to go off inside of Ruby's head and the training she'd been forced to endure kicked in, it'd become an instinct for her: follow the soon-to-be victim around until she had all of the required information. She knew how to keep herself from seeming suspicious as Blake had trained her in stealth and secrecy, and her sister had taught her how to pry the information out of someone without getting caught.

Maybe she should find out why Weiss' name was so familiar?

Ruby shook her head again, "No!" She growled quietly, "What've they done to you? You're better than this." If she succumbed to their ways, she would never be released from the program. _'But Blake and Yang need more money, you said you would work harder- no, you can't!' _Ruby was losing herself, her first instinct had become to fall back on her training to get her out of her problems. She couldn't do that!

"Ruby?" Ruby was pulled from her internal conflict when she heard her friend's voice behind her and she turned around, slowly regaining her senses and relaxing her breathing. She must've looked so stupid having a silent war with herself. . . "Are you sure you're okay?" Penny asked worriedly and Ruby closed her eyes, sighing and nodding her head.

"I'm fine," Ruby smiled, "let's find me some clothes real quick so you can go obsess over your lipstick."

"Lip_gloss_. And it's not for me, it's for my boss."

"There's a difference?"

"Yes! There's a vibrant red, orange tangerine, bawse, brick red-"

Ruby's face twisted in confusion, "Wait," she cut her friend off and Penny glanced at her, "why're there so many different shades of red? Isn't red just red?" Were all of the shades even necessary?

"What about 'ruby red'?" Penny smirked and Ruby rolled her eyes, "Wait, 'rose red'?"

"I get it," Ruby muttered as Penny continued down the aisle, glancing around and shaking her head in disapproval, "and what's 'bawse'?" She asked again, knowing she would probably regret it.

Her friend hummed, "My boss says that it's a deep brick red color often found in liquid lipstick."

"Why is there such things as liquid lipsticks?!"

* * *

**Clarifications since my editors have asked me these questions. Hopefully they'll help you all out, too!**

**-In this AU, I imagine Penny to be a little bit of a fashion-girl. Ruby doesn't mind it, but she would much rather wear an old sweater and sweatpants over skirts and dresses.**  
**-The spark: It's like accidentally, very briefly, electrocuting yourself, except when it happens, you feel like an empty space you never knew was there has been filled.**  
**-Remember, this is a modern day AU. Solitas still pretty cold, but not below freezing. They have their warm days.**  
**-Atlas and Mantle are two different cities, but still very close together. Ruby lives in Mantle, Penny and Weiss live in Atlas.**  
**-Due to the fact most of the money goes to their Boss, RBY are left with very little. Ruby is not starving, she eats regularly, but they are small portions that don't contain much nutrients, but it's enough to keep her strong and healthy.**

**Next up is Weiss' perspective! How does she feel about Ruby?**

If this fanfic is not updated monthly, it is because I haven't had time to continue writing. I want to be 3-4 chapters ahead before posting a new chapter.

So have patience!


	4. Silver

**I completely forgot to post the second chapter of this month! Crap!  
**So, reviews!  
**Combine117** \- We'll see what she's doing soon!  
**Unnamed Stranger** \- I forgot! I'm not writing these songs, they're from artists I listen to! I went back and edited in the singers. I keep forgetting not everything copies and pastes from my Docs! Also, Penny's human in this fanfic, and thanks! I tried to make it seem like soulmates and love at first sight at the same time, this tells me I did pretty well!

* * *

_**Chapter 3 **_ ** _  
_ ** **_Silver_ ** ** _  
_ ** **[Weiss] ****  
** _I know that I could do so much _

_ If I could just believe in me _

_ Mirror mirror _

_ I'll tell you something _

_ I think I might change it all _

_'She has silver eyes. . . And that spark, what was that. . .?' _It was the only thing Weiss could think of as she walked away from the other woman, glancing over her shoulder to see another girl talking to Ruby now. She vaguely recognized the redhead as Penny Polendina, daughter of one of her father's colleagues. They'd met a few times and had been forced to interact, so Weiss couldn't really say that she knew her.

Her eyes trailed to Ruby and a sense of deja vu hit her, she'd never met the girl before, what was this feeling? It felt like something inside of her was trying to pull her back to the brunette, screaming in agony as she walked further away.

Weiss refocused her attention on finding Neptune again, she clicked her phone on and skimmed over his text requesting her presence and rolled her eyes. He couldn't have at least told her where he would be so that she wasn't left wandering around the store like a lost child? _'If I were a man obsessed with fashion and looking 'cool', where would I be?' _

Leather jackets, blue jeans, hats. . .

_ 'Hats.' _

Weiss turned and began walking over to a line of hats in the corner of the store, finding her friend in just a few seconds; his bright, dyed blue hair gave him away far too easily. She reached him in just a few strides, and he glanced down at her when she stopped beside him. Neptune grinned and placed a black hat atop his head, striking a pose before asking; "How do I look?"

The woman raised a brow, scrutinizing the fedora in disapproval, she shook her head and Neptune frowned. "It makes you look like Flynt."

The smile returned to her friend's face and he whipped out a pair of glasses from nowhere, he put them on and tipped his hat, "That's good, right?" He asked with a smirk, "He's cool!" Weiss just shook her head and muttered a few curses under her breath, "I like it." Neptune shrugged.

"Take it off, it makes you look ridiculous."

Neptune looked at her again and slowly removed the hat, placing it back on the rack with the glasses. He rolled his eyes, "Wow, you didn't even consider sugarcoating that," he muttered in slight annoyance, "okay, Weiss, what do you think would look good on me since I obviously cannot pull off a fedora." Weiss simply smiled and took a simple, black baseball cap and placed it on his head backwards. "Are you trying to make me look like a joke. . .?" He asked with a brow raised.

"No," Weiss smirked, "I just think it would say 'look at me, I'm a cool, flirty asshole who has no taste in fashion.' That's all."

The man took the cap off, "Aren't you sweet?" He chuckled quietly, "I'm serious, Weiss, I need a new hat." Neptune informed her, gesturing to his slightly messing undercut, "It's not growing back the way it's supposed to, it's making me look like a five-year old chopped my hair off with scissors." It was true, the hair was growing back to look like a choppy mess. If he didn't like it, why couldn't he just see a barber and have it fixed?

"Why do you need a hat?" She asked, Neptune cast her a puzzled look, "You always used to have it fixed, I don't think I've ever seen you with any other hairstyle." It was difficult for her to imagine him with any other style as he'd had the same haircut since they were kids, he refused to change it even long after the undercut went out of style, though it did make a comeback within the past year.

Neptune sighed, "I just want a new style," he muttered as he turned to her, "it's been the same cut for as long as I can remember, and it's gotten old, you know?"

Weiss shrugged, choosing not to respond to the young man and allowing him to continue his search for a hat, despite her thinking it wasn't necessary. She glanced to the cart Neptune had pulled over and rolled her eyes when she noticed a certain fedora hat hidden underneath a pair of blue jeans, he must've snuck it into the cart when she grabbed the baseball cap. . .

"Woah, no," Weiss stopped her friend when she caught him reaching for a blue cowboy hat out of the corner of her eye, "anything but blue, please. It clashes horribly with your hair." It also wouldn't match his general style, but she wasn't about to say that and possibly offend her friend.

The woman's attention snapped up suddenly and her eyes drifted from Neptune, finding the form of a familiar brunette and a redhead making their way to the coats and jackets. _'So, she took my advice.'_ Weiss smiled, pleased with herself.

_'Actually,' _she eyed the girl's clothing and scoffed, _'she needs a whole new outfit, probably an entire new wardrobe.'_ It wasn't her place to judge, but she couldn't help but to judge anyway, the girl would look so much more attractive in newer clothes. . . _'Wait, what?'_ Weiss shook her head and pulled her phone from her purse to distract herself.

"Ooo," she heard Penny's voice giggling, "what about this one?"

"No," Ruby's voice caused her eyes to glance up, searching for the pair who were out of eyesight, but within earshot, "that looks like something a child would wear."

"Hey, the jacket has feelings!"

"I'm sorry, Jacket, but I don't like your colors."

"Still mean. I think it's a pretty pink color."

Penny suggested a _ pink _jacket for Ruby? These girls needed help before Ruby walked out looking like Lady Gaga. "Woah, Weiss," Weiss glanced over her shoulder at Neptune, "where are you going now? It's not safe for you to be alone-" He had to be joking. . .

"I'm twenty-two, Neptune, I'll be fine." She attempted to reassure him, "I'm just going to help somebody before they walk out looking like a fashion disaster." At least, that's what she was trying to convince herself that it was, not because she wanted to see the girl with the unique silver eyes again.

Weiss offered him a smile and Neptune raised a brow in slight confusion, but he chuckled and crossed his arms just a second later. Weiss blinked, "What?" The man just leaned to the side, peering off into the store somewhere before smirking and looking back at the young woman, "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"So that's why you're being disgustingly sweet." The man hummed, "Gotta say, I never took you as the sweet kind, Weiss." Neptune chuckled as he turned back to the hats, Weiss' brows knit together in confusion, the blue-haired man barely managed to choke back his laughter when she asked what he meant. "You returned her phone, that was sweet of you, and now you want to help her pick out clothes? Weiss, you never help me pick out anything, and when you do, you're an ass about it." He laughed again and Weiss glanced away, unable to form a coherent sentence. "I've known you my whole life."

Gods, he was infuriating. "She just needs help before she humiliates herself walking out looking like a trainwreck," Weiss muttered to him, turning and stalking away from him before he could say anything else.

"You keep telling yourself that, okay?" Neptune called loud enough for the rest of the store to hear.

_'Ugh!' _Weiss shook her head, focusing her attention on the voice belonging to the girl she'd met earlier. Judging by the fact they were still discussing the color of the jacket, they hadn't heard Neptune, or herself. When she caught sight of them, Penny glanced up immediately, probably have sensed her presence.

Weiss frowned when a smirk that matched Neptune's came to the woman's face, the redhead muttered something inaudible to Ruby and the brunette nodded, Penny walked off with the cart. _'Weird.' _

Weiss decided to make her presence known to the brunette, "I see you took my advice." The other woman whirled around, her silver eyes widening and her hands clutching a brown wool coat. She almost looked like a startled squirrel, and it was adorable. Weiss' heart did a flip inside of her chest, "Would you like some assistance since your. . . friend ditched you?" Weiss could stare into the beautiful silver eyes all day and she would be content.

Ruby offered a dazzling smile, "Sure!" She broke eye contact and Weiss was reeled back into reality, she shook her head and came to the woman's side. "Whatcha think about this one?" The brunette asked, holding the brown jacket up for Weiss to see, Weiss shook her head and examined the young woman.

It would look nice on her if it was the Fall season, but it was early Spring. Personally, Weiss didn't think jackets were required during this time of the year, but she knew some people, like Neptune, would wear them all year.

"I think," Weiss whispered as she withdrew a dark red jacket with silver buttons and a black outline from a hanger, "this one would look good on you." She held it up and smiled when she noticed that it clashed perfectly with the other woman's dark red-tipped hair and silver eyes.

Ruby eyed her suspiciously, "Are you sure? I've always gone with black leather jackets. . ." Black looked nice on her, too.

"I'm positive," Weiss offered her the clothing, "it goes well with your eyes. . ." She did it again, didn't she? Ruby blushed and took the jacket with a small smile, her silver eyes matched those of an excited puppy who'd just been praised. _'Cute!' _

When Ruby slung the material over her shoulder, Weiss spoke up again, "Are you friends with Penny?" Ruby nodded, "Her father is an acquaintance to mine through business, and if you don't mind me asking, did she invite you to the party next Monday?" If Penny didn't, Weiss would.

_'Why, though?'_ She didn't even know this woman.

The brunette smiled, "Yeah, she did," oh good, "that's why I decided that I need new clothes. Penny said she'd find me a couple of shirts." Ruby raised a brow, "Why do you ask?"

Weiss panicked for a moment before thinking of a suitable answer; "You seem to be a good friend of hers, and I was wondering if I should expect to see you at the party." That sounded sensible enough. . . Why wasn't she thinking straight? Ruby grinned and Weiss felt her heart melt, focusing her light blue eyes on Ruby's practically glowing silver pair. Gods, she was _adorable_ .

"Well, I'll definitely be attending now that I know you'll be going. Ruby turned back to her, straightening her posture and giving a bow, "I hope to see you there, _Weiss_ ." Her voice was so soft when she spoke her name, almost causing Weiss' heart to beat out of her chest. Ruby giggled and turned away, probably heading off to find her friend.

Weiss watched as the brunette disappeared, a smile practically glued to her face. She couldn't help it, the girl's innocence and bubbly personality just drew her in, Ruby made her feel emotions she'd believed were only myths. But, she'd just _met_ her! Why did she feel so warm inside. . .? Why was she so _happy _to know she would be seeing her again? Weiss closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth spreading through her chest, and she released a sigh of content.

Behind her, Neptune smirked and crossed his arms. "Gay."

Weiss frowned, whirling around to look him in the eyes. She stomped, "I'm not gay!" She snapped in frustration. Neptune just shrugged, chuckling a 'if you say so' under his breath. Weiss grumbled another swear under her breath and stalked away, "Let's just finish shopping." The woman muttered, Neptune followed her in silence.

[Later]

Nearly four hours later, Neptune called for a ride back to the manor and a scrawny young man came to retrieve them in a black limo, despite Neptune requesting the white Ferrari. The multiple bags they'd purchased were placed in the trunk of the vehicle and the pair climbed in, Neptune ducked ever so slightly to avoid banging his head on the side of the car.

The inside of the vehicle was quite simple; a six-passenger limo with a curved stretch-seat, a small bar area placed in front of them, and a divider window towards the front. Weiss sat with one leg crossed over the other and her hands placed neatly in her lap, Neptune on the other hand, sat with all four limbs spread comfortably.

Weiss shook her head as Neptune glanced over to her, "I can't believe you spent two hours looking at _hats_ ," she muttered, Neptune just smiled, "You didn't even buy one!"

"Says the girl who spent thirty minutes looking at a single skirt she didn't even consider purchasing." Neptune scoffed, "Plus, you buy outfits that you never wear! I'll be wearing my hats."

"Hey," Weiss held a finger up, "I considered getting the skirt, okay? But I don't think it would look good as a Winter skirt, maybe Summer, but not Spring." Honestly, did Neptune have any fashion sense? Weiss glanced over his outfit and rolled her eyes. No, of course he didn't. . . He wore _ goggles_ year around, who would do that?

"I can't believe you're judging me when you were ogling a girl with faded clothing." Neptune smirked, Weiss scowled at him and the young man chuckled. "Don't deny it."

How dare he! "I wasn't ogling!" Weiss protested, giving her friend an incredulous look, "I just like her eyes." She'd never seen somebody with silver eyes before, of course she'd find them interesting. "And her accent. . ."

"Yeah, Vale accents are cute, especially with girls. So, what color are her eyes?" Neptune asked with a smile. Weiss blinked and she felt her chest beginning to warm again, "I couldn't tell," the man looked at her and raised a brow, "let me guess: White." Weiss must've given him a strange look because he began to laugh, "Well, the only color you like is white." He gestured to the woman's current outfit, receiving another scoff from Weiss.

"Her eyes were silver, not white." Weiss informed him, "And I don't just like the color white!"

"Sure, okay." Neptune shrugged with a light chuckle, "You let me know if you need help getting the girl, 'kay?"

Weiss rolled her eyes, "I will not be seeking help from Atlas' resident casanova, thank you." Neptune scowled playfully at her and she sneered back, "By the way, about that thing I said this morning. . . I've changed my mind."

Neptune smiled, "I know," he replied, "I knew from the second you looked at that girl."

Before she could say anything else to defend herself, the limo's divider window was slid open and the driver glanced back at them through the rearview mirror. Weiss' blood ran cold when the driver spoke.

"Mister Vasilias, your family wants to know if you wish to accompany Miss Schnee to the airport to see her father off, or come home." Weiss already knew his answer, he would choose to go home and leave her with father. Although they were good friends, Neptune avoided interaction with CEO at all costs, despite her father having voiced his approval of him multiple times. Neptune shot the young woman a nervous, apologetic smile that Weiss returned.

She could handle one last car ride with her father alone, she wouldn't be seeing him for another two months anyway. If that's what it took to grant her the freedom she'd always longed for, she would not object. When her father returned from his trip, he'll see that she's ready to take over, step down from his position and Weiss would become the CEO, then she could begin cleansing her family name and restore it to its former glory.

At least, she hoped that's how things would play out. . .

"Hey, Weiss." Weiss' attention snapped back up to Neptune and she glanced out the window to see that they were approaching the Vasilias mansion. It was much smaller than her family's home, but it was just right for Neptune and his parents, considering there was only three of them. Originally, there had been four, but a terrible tragedy befell the youngest Vasilias.

Neptune's hand rested on her knee and he offered a soft, friendly, and reassuring smile. "Tomorrow, the rest of your life begins. You've got this."

Weiss smiled back, "Thank you. . ." The man flashed her a grin before climbing out of the limo. "See you, Neptune."

"Later, Snow Angel!" He called back, closing the door before Weiss could say anything else.

She shook her head again as the vehicle pulled away, heading out of the driveway and in the direction of the Schnee Manor. _'I can do this.'_ Weiss told herself, closing her eyes.

_ 'I've got this.' _

* * *

**I don't know what to explain here, so if anybody has questions, I'll answer them in the next chapter!**  
**Let me know what you all think!**  
**~Dixie**


	5. Finally Free

**Here's the next chapter! Also, I have an announcement! **  
**Through Life and Death now has a new upload schedule: the 1st and 16th of every month.**  
**Replying to Reviews!**  
iamking** \- **Thank you!  
WhiteRosePlanter - Nope! No Titanic here! Just Whiterose!  
Unnamed Stranger - Neptune is a sweet guy in this. Also, yes, this is a Modern Day AU (just with Remnant names), so all the famous singers/actresses existing today exist here.  
Combine117 - I'm glad you like it!

* * *

_**Finally Free**_  
**[Ruby]**  
Date: Tuesday, September 13th

**Niall Horan - Finally Free**  
_Standing here on my own  
__Yeah, the first step's the hardest  
__When you're walking into the unknown  
__It's been dark, and it's been cold  
__Had my head in the clouds  
__Never knowing what lies down below_

_"Stay here," a voice whispered softly to her, "don't make a single sound, don't come out until I tell you it's safe, okay?" _

_Everything was dark, save for a sliver of light peeking through and providing her just enough space to be able to see from inside. The figure standing in front of her moved away and towards a darker area, eventually all she could hear was footsteps growing farther and farther away. A moment passed and a door creaked open, likely pushed open from the raging winds outside. _

_Ruby averted her eyes when a shadow appeared in her line of view, she quietly shifted away from the dim light and waited. She heard a dull outside the room and she glanced up, briefly wondering if a tree limb had fallen on the house again. When she looked up, everything flashed red and her world began to fall apart piece by piece until. . ._

_She was drowning. . ._

_She couldn't breathe. . ._

_She needed air, and desperately. . . Her first instinct was to open her mouth and scream._

Ruby's body jerked upright and a shriek escaped her throat, echoing around the small shack as she slowly regained her senses. She was panting, her heart was racing a mile a minute and she could barely breathe, she was practically heaving. . .

When her vision cleared and she could breathe again, she heard her sister fly to her feet beside her with her eyes screwed shut, but she took on a battle stance, "Wha- who- who's there?!" The blonde demanded as she blinked her lilac eyes open, immediately glancing down at the young brunette. Ruby could barely hear over the ringing in her ears and the thudding of her heart, but she managed to make it out: "Are you okay?"

Ruby drew in a deep breath and released it, lifting her head to meet her sister's eyes. It was then she realized that she was hugging her knees close to her chest, she lowered them quietly as Yang took a seat beside her on the floor, "Ruby?" Yang whispered softly, "Didja have the nightmare again?" Ruby could never remember what happened in the nightmare, all she could ever recall was the color red flashing all around her, and then falling. Her body and her mind remembered, it always did.

"Yeah," the brunette replied at last, "I'm fine, though. I'm sorry I woke you. . ." She could feel Blake's eyes watching her from her own bed, but she didn't bother to look at her. Ruby knew Blake was frustrated with her, she'd probably startled her awake with her screaming, especially since Blake had highly sensitive cat ears. Ruby heard the faunus grumble something and turn over, likely as an attempt to tune the sisters out.

Yang draped an arm around Ruby's shoulders, "Come on," she smiled reassuringly, "it don't look like you'll be getting back to sleep any time soon. What do you say we go for a walk?" Ruby smiled at the blonde as Yang stood to her feet, Ruby kicked her old blanket off as her sister offered her a hand and pulled her up to her feet. "Blake, we're heading out, okay?" Yang informed her girlfriend, who simply gave them a thumbs-up to acknowledge them.

Ruby ran a hand through her hair as her sister walked away to grab their jackets off of the old couch, tossing the black cloth to the young brunette as she slid her own brown jacket on. "Where are we going?" Ruby asked, fiddling with the keys in her pocket and watching Yang remove her helmet and a red wig from underneath the couch. She wiped the helmet off and offered it to Ruby before sliding her wig on. Yang just smiled at her and walked out the door after the brunette took the helmet, following closely behind the blonde.

"Anywhere and everywhere." Yang replied at last.

* * *

Yang had driven them up to the city and parked Bumblebee behind an abandoned building, she'd tossed an old tap she'd found over the motorcycle after placing the helmet back into the truck. The main clock tower read 2:45am, although it was late and many people had settled down for the night, the city was still bustling with activity.

"Have I ever mentioned that I hate the city?" Yang asked as they made their way down the street, they had no set destination, they were just walking to clear their minds. "It's so loud, crowded, and half the people here are obnoxious. Not to mention that they're rich and think they can do whatever they want. . ." The blonde muttered, scowling as a young man shouldered his way in between them and continued down the block.

Ruby tugged at the hem of her jacket, "Yes," she whispered, "almost everyday."

Yang frowned at her little sister, glancing down at her hands as the younger girl played with the edges of the jacket she wore, "Hey, Ruby," silver eyes met her contacted golden pair, "Why were you late gettin' home last night?"

Ruby bowed her head, the memories of the night before coming back and hitting her in the face. Women around her age came to her searching for attention they would never receive from their husbands, or if they were disgusted by their current partner, and Ruby provided them with what they wanted. They'd learned long ago that they were not to take control, and if they put their hands on her, she'd be out in a flash. She hadn't wanted to. . . But she needed money, she couldn't just say no them.

"I was just. . . Enjoying some me time." Ruby smiled. Hopefully soon, she wouldn't need to do this anymore.

Yang nodded carefully, "So. Do ya remember anything about the dream?" Ruby shook her head, "Oh, so the same as always." A nod was the response she was given. Yang drew in a deep breath and draped an arm around Ruby's shoulders again, offering a small, reassuring smile when she tried to lighten the mood. "Maybe we should put a lil' video camera in your head and record the dream! That way we know what it is!"

The brunette smirked, "You wanna put a spy camera in my head?"

"Sure, why not?"

"What if I don't let you?"

"Then I'll use my big sister senses to see what's goin' on in there." Yang chuckled, "Anyway, how did shopping with Penny go? I saw that you got some new clothes. What brought that up?" The blonde grinned when a pink blush started to creep its way up her sister's cheeks and the brunette averted her eyes, "Oooh, does Ruby have a crush? Who is it? What does he look like?" The smile Ruby was wearing fell almost immediately and Yang frowned, "Ruby?"

Ruby hesitated before responding, "She, actually. . ." The brunette met Yang's gaze again, "Her name is Weiss," a wide smile crossed the younger woman's lips, "she's so beautiful! Her eyes are blue and look like they were crafted from the most beautiful snowflakes in existence and her hair literally looks like snow and her voice sounds like an angel is speaking and-"

"Slow down there, little sister." Yang cut the shorter woman off, her voice hard and firm, "Did you say Weiss? As in, Weiss Schnee?"

"Uh, yeah, why?" Ruby asked cautiously, dread settling inside of her when something unreadable flickered through her sibling's eyes. Realization washed over the brunette and her heart clenched, "That's our mission Monday, ain't it. . .?" She whispered painfully, Yang just nodded. "I can't. . . I promised Penny that I would attend the party with her, I said I would meet Weiss there. I can't do that to her. . ."

Yang's face softened and she sat down on the nearest bench, Ruby followed her and took a seat beside her. "Ruby," the blonde whispered gently, "do you really wanna keep doing this?" Lilac eyes hidden behind golden contacts met deep pools of silver, both searching for an answer in the other's gaze.

Ruby was torn, she wanted to stay and help her sister and Blake, but she also knew that they didn't make enough money to be able to properly feed three people. If she escaped, then the other two would have an easier time surviving. Unlike her, they didn't have a way out of the system, they'd signed a contract and would be forced to work for the Boss until the deadline was reached. Their only chance of ever getting out of there was death, or working harder to pay off what they owed.

The other part of Ruby wanted to leave, to put this behind her and move forward in life. She had a chance to have a new beginning, nobody knew of her name or would ever recognize her, thanks to Yang. She could forget everything and pursue the life she'd always wanted to lead, she could get a real job and hopefully apply to college online.

Would she really be able to forget, though? Everything she'd learned in the past two years had been drilled into her, it would take more than simply departing from the system for her to forget. What if somebody approached her and her brain identified them as an enemy? What if-

"Ruby?" Ruby jerked her attention back to her sister, "If you want to leave, I can help you. I probably won't need to, though," Yang smirked, "the Boss would be overjoyed that you're leaving, as long as you don't expose him."

For a reason that Ruby couldn't even begin to understand, their Boss despised her and wanted her gone as soon as possible. If Yang wasn't protecting her, Ruby was positive the man would've killed her as soon as he had the chance. But, now that she was twenty, she was no longer under her sister's protection. . .

"Yeah," Ruby whispered, reaching a decision, "I mean, I can work on leaving. . . Maybe have a real job and an apartment under my name, and help you and Blake out whenever y'all need it."

"Alright," Yang smiled, reaching up to adjust her red wig and hide a few stray blonde hairs, "we'll inform Blake when we get home and tell the Boss later." The older woman drew her little sister in for a one-armed embrace, "I'm proud of you, and I'm sure, um, Tai and Summer would be as well."

"Really?" The brunette asked shyly, her heart clenched when her mother's name was mentioned, "You think so?" She'd never met her father, but Qrow had told plenty of stories about him when she was little that she felt like she did have some memories of him.

"I know," the blonde replied, "startin' tomorrow, you'll have a new life to lead, they would be absolutely thrilled."

"What about Uncle Qrow. . .?"

It'd taken her years to understand, but apparently her mother had been killed when Ruby was very young and her father legally could not have custody of her. As much as it'd hurt to find out, she understood why eventually. . . Ruby was the result of a one night stand, and due to a legal problem concerning custody of Yang, she couldn't go to her father and Qrow had adopted her without hesitation.

They stayed with him for nearly six years before Qrow moved to Atlas for something job related, he'd never told them what it was. A week after their arrival, they received word that he'd gone missing without a trace, leaving the two girls to survive on their own. Foster care soon found out that they were orphans and took them in, but after a few months there, they tried to separate them so they'd escaped and managed to stay hidden.

"Yeah, Qrow be proud, too. . . Especially of you." Yang stood, her voice and movement breaking Ruby out of her thoughts.

"What? No, Yang, he'd be proud of both of us. He's our uncle."

Yang cut her off, "That's not what I meant, Ruby. I meant that you're his, um," reluctance and hesitation flickered across Yang's face and she sighed, "I meant that you were always his favorite." Yang glanced up and down the street as Ruby got to her feet beside her. "Come on, let's go back."

Ruby had noticed her sister's hesitation, but chose not to acknowledge it. "Could we, uh," Yang looked over her shoulder, "get some food?" In truth, she just didn't want to go back, but she couldn't tell Yang that.

Yang blinked at her, "Ruby, it's three in the morning."

"I know," Ruby whispered quietly, "but isn't Simmer Down open twenty-four-seven?" Realization flickered through Yang's eyes and the older woman smirked. "What?" She frowned in confusion and the blonde chuckled, turning to face her.

"You mean the restaurant the _Schnee_ family owns?"

"I- what- they own Simmer Down?!"

Yang smirked again, "Uh, yeah."

Humiliation washed over the young brunette and Ruby cast her silver eyes downwards, "I didn't know that," she whispered shamefully, "maybe that's why her name sounded so familiar." The woman turned away and headed down the street, "Can we just get some food?" Yang was by her side in an instant.

"Hey Ruby? What's your favorite color?"

"Red."

Yang smirked, "Are you sure it's not _Weiss_ blue?" The blonde cackled and Ruby quickened her pace, "Hey! Hey, what flavor snow cone do you think she would be?"

Ruby groaned in sheer embarrassment "Why are you doing this?"

"Aw, Ruby, I thought you liked _Weiss_ cream? Especially with lil' cherries on top."

"YANG!"

"Ruby! Shush!" The blonde loudly scolded, reaching up and adjusting her red wig, "I'm not Yang, I'm Irides right now. . ." She turned back to Ruby, now calm. "I'm sorry," Yang apologized with a small laugh, "it was just too perfect. My little sister has her first crush, and you expect me _not_ to make jokes?" A blush rose to Ruby's cheeks and she shifted her eyes towards the ground, a tiny smile came to her lips, one she hoped Yang hadn't noticed. "Awww, you _do _have a crush! That's soooo _cuuuute_!"

Ruby coughed and steeled herself again, lifting her head and looking at her sister, "That's ridiculous," she forced out, trying to rid the image of the white-haired woman's smile, "I just met her, you can't develop a crush on somebody that fast."

Yang scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Who are you and what have you done with my little sister?"

Ruby raised a brow, "What do you mean?" She asked quietly.

The older woman chuckled and draped an arm around the shorter girl as they turned down the block, "You used to believe in 'love at first sight' from all of those books you read before we left home. Man, I remember when you were a child and pretending you were a knight in shining armor and saving your princess."

"I-I did not!" Ruby snapped in sheer embarrassment, "Love at first sight. . . It's not real." Her silver eyes glanced to the ground again, her heart grew heavy. "Besides, she's straight. She has a boyfriend."

Yang hummed, "How do you know it's her boyfriend? People used to think Mars and I were dating, but we were just good friends. Y'know, before he went crazy?"

Ruby smiled, "Yeah," she whispered with a hopeful glint in her eyes, "maybe he's just a friend. I'll ask next time I see her." Ruby felt her heart swell with affection, "Really, though, you should see her smile. It's the most purest thing in the world; it was like seeing an angel. . ." The brunette chuckled again, "She even sounded like one, I wonder if she sings?"

"You, my little sister," the blonde started and Ruby averted her eyes again, "are one of the gayest people I've ever met."

Ruby bit her lip, the voice at the back of her head reminded her of the women she 'assisted' and she shook her head. Weiss would never love her if she knew that. . . "I just hope I don't screw it all up," she whispered pitifully, "I really do want a new beginning. . . I'm sorry, but I'm tired of living like this." Ruby spun around to face her sister, walking backwards with her eyes fixed on Yang's. "If I had to hide my face like you, I would have never met Weiss. . ."

Yang chuckled, "I know, that's why I only included you in our missions when absolutely necessary. I wanted you to have a chance to escape with a clean record. . ." She made a thoughtful noise and tapped her chin, "Say, couldn't your new Schnee friend help you out?"

"I'm not going to take advantage of her money," Ruby growled in slight irritation, "I don't want her to think I'm just hanging around her because of her wealth. . ."

Her sister suddenly stopped and her head tilted back, "We're here, Ruby." Yang told her, Ruby looked up to see the white and yellow sign that said 'Simmer Down' in bold-like text. "Find a seat, I'll be right back. I need to fix my wig."

"Got it, want me to order for you if you're not by the time the waiter comes by?"

"Yeah!" Yang called back, using a trained accent so that nobody recognized her voice. Ruby chuckled and approached the counter, where a tall, broad man with black hair and a braided beard greeted her. When he asked how many, she replied with a quiet 'two' as her attention trailed towards a snowflake emblem flashing above her.

"Those Schnees want their symbol flashing everywhere," the man informed her gruffly, almost sounding annoyed, "I'm quite surprised they don't yet own all of Atlas."

Ruby furrowed her brows in confusion as the man grabbed two menus and gestured for her to follow him. "What's wrong with the Schnees?" She asked curiously, regretting asking the question when the man scoffed loudly. She just barely heard him mutter something about only having the job because of how much it pays before he turned to her, setting the menus down on a two-person table.

"They're a bunch of hypocrites! They only care about themselves, their money, and would run anybody out of business just to get more fame and money!" He crossed his arms, "Everybody from Atlas knows this, you must not be from here."

Ruby shook her head, "I'm from a small town off the coast of Vale," she replied honestly, "do you know if Weiss anything like them?" She feared the answer from the Atlesian man.

The man laughed darkly and Ruby quietly took her seat, stepping out of his way so that he could head back to the desk. He stopped at her side, "She's just like her father." The way he said it spoke volumes about his opinion of the white-haired woman, Ruby heard him whisper something under his breath as he walked away.

"What was that about?" Ruby's head whipped around to see Yang sitting across from her with her elbows propped up and her chin resting on her hands. "He didn't seem too happy."

Ruby sighed deeply and opened her menu, "I asked about the Schnee family," she glanced up at her sister, "do you know what Weiss' father is like?"

Yang hummed as she opened her own menu, skimming over the page before replying to Ruby. "All I'm going to say is that he's not a good man. . ." She gave Ruby a small smile, "Don't worry, I'm sure Weiss is nothing like her father."

"She was so nice to me," Ruby whispered in pure confusion, "but what if that's what he meant? What if she's nice to people before-"

Yang cut her off by popping her menu shut and looking up at her, "If she was sweet to you and you didn't get a bad vibe from her, she isn't a bad person, Ruby." She raised a brow and cut Ruby off before she could say anything else, "One of the first things we learned when training for our job was to learn how to manipulate somebody into turning a blind eye to you. So you would be able to tell whether or not she was toying with you, Ruby."

Ruby nodded and closed her own menu, she decided to change the subject. "So, we getting a number #10 with a side of rice?"

"Sounds good to me. Oh! Hey, Simmer Down has wifi! Maybe we could look up some apartments for you while we're here!" Yang exclaimed, pulling her phone out and quickly connecting to the restaurant's wifi, "Since it's 3:37am and there's barely anybody here, I imagine the internet wouldn't be too laggy." She informed Ruby, already typing in a search for apartment buildings in their area. "It'd probably be a good idea for you to look for a job, too."

Ruby rolled her eyes and withdrew her own phone, "I could just unlock the money Mom had stored for me in the bank if I can't get a job soon," she muttered in slight annoyance, "but yeah, I probably need a job so I could pay for the bills. . . Ugh, nobody told me adulting would be hard!"

"Oh you're looking for an apartment?"

The sisters looked up at the sight of a girl with short orange hair behind Ruby, leaning over her seat grinning at them. They exchanged a cautious glance when the woman beamed at them. Behind her was a young man with long black hair, hiding his face in his hands. "A really mean, bossy lady just got kicked out of the apartment across from us! So it's open now! Here," she turned around and ripped a sheet of paper off of what looked to be a notebook, jotting down the address, "here's the name of the apartment building! They allowed Ren and me to live there even though we were homeless! Even helped us find jobs! Well, uh, sorta."

Ruby blinked and took the paper from the woman, "Um, thank you. . .?" She slipped it in her pocket without looking at it, "Were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Our tables are so close to each other it's kind of hard _not _to eavesdrop." The woman smiled politely, "I'm Nora! You must be 'Ruby'."

Ruby nodded again, "Yeah, how did you know?" Nora gestured to Yang and Ruby sighed, "I see. . . So the apartment building owners helped you and your," she glanced to Ren, "your boyfriend find jobs?"

"Oh we're not together!" Nora blushed, "I mean, we're together, but we're not together-together. You know what I'm saying?" Ruby just bobbed her head once, "Anyway, yeah! They took us in and helped us find jobs! Of course, we had to move here to Atlas after the original place was shut down, but General Ironwood was more than happy to help us. We've lived there for nearly two years now!"

"What happened to the original owner?"

"He, uh," Nora looked back to Ren briefly, "he disappeared. . . That's why we're here, the residents of the apartment complex were offered a home here in Atlas. Since we didn't have anywhere to go, we came here."

Ruby pulled her paper out of her pocket and skimmed over the name of the apartment building, smiling when she recognized the name and thanking Nora quietly. Yang raised a brow at her and Ruby just waved the paper, "I think I just found a new home."

* * *

"The Beacon apartments?" Blake asked, setting the paper aside and turning back to Ruby and Yang, "Ruby, that's in Vale, and considering the girl who gave it to you claims they're residents of the apartment complex, I would say this is all some sort of scam."

Ruby shook her head, "I know it's in Vale," she pulled out her phone, clicking it on and presented it to the other woman, "the apartment complex itself was shut down after the owner went missing, so this 'General Ironwood' offered the remaining residents a home here in Atlas until further notice."

"Ruby, you don't think it's suspicious that the owner mysteriously vanished?" Yang questioned as she came to her girlfriend's side, "Plus, the girl was eavesdropping on our conversation and spoke up when we mentioned trying to find you a home! Red flags, hello?"

Ruby rolled her eyes, "It's like you said, Yang, I was trained to know the signs of somebody trying to manipulate you into believing them. She seemed honest, all I found weird about her was the fact she quite literally appeared out of nowhere." The brunette drew in a deep sigh and turned away from the two, "I'm going to head to apartments and see if I can put in an application. I did research while we were in the restaurant, it seems like it'll be a good place for me to go if I want to pick up my life." She whispered, approaching the door and placing a hand on the knob. "I need you to trust me on this."

Yang shook her head, "No, Ruby, you're not going to-"

"Yang," Blake interrupted, silencing the tall blonde, "you need to trust your sister. . . I'm skeptical too, but if she wants to see for herself, then let her. She's not a child anymore."

Yang looked to the young brunette and heaved a deep sigh, "I just- I remember when you used to rely on me, Ruby. . ." Ruby rolled her eyes, preparing herself for the upcoming story. Yang chuckled weakly, " As much as I tried to convince you to leave and start your own life, to head down a different path, you stayed right here with me because you thought I would need you. . ." Yang gave a small, proud smile. "Now, you're actually taking matters into your own hands. Ya don't need to depend on me anymore, it'll take some gettin' used to, I'm sorry. . . I guess I just feel like I have more to teach you."

Ruby nodded quietly, "I can understand that. . . But, like you said, you've been pushing me to start my own life. I probably found a home now, I can get a job as well." She pulled the door open, "An opportunity has presented itself to me, I have to seize it. I'll be back tonight, I promise."

* * *

**Looks like Ruby is starting her own life now! And hmm... those women? Could they cause a problem?  
Are the Beacon Apartments actually safe?  
What did Yang mean? Ruby is Qrow's what?  
Will Ruby get an apartment and get her life sorted out, or will her connection to Blake and Yang hold her back?**


	6. Housewarning Encounter

_**Chapter Five:**_  
**_Housewarming Encounter_**  
**[Weiss] **  
Date: Friday, September 16th  
**-Perfect Strangers: Jonas Blue -**  
No one but you got me feeling this way  
There's so much we can't explain  
Maybe we're helping each other escape  
I'm with you  
Who knows the secret tomorrow will hold?  
We don't really need to know  
'Cause you're here with me now, I don't want you to go

* * *

"Ms. Schnee, are you positive you want to do this?"

Weiss heaved an annoyed sigh and glanced over her shoulder to look at the man running up behind her with a clipboard in hand, she recognized him as her father's personal assistant, and for the next two months, her assistant. "Yes, I'm sure. Send out the order right away." She muttered, waving her hand as an attempt to dismiss the man.

For the past three days, she'd been running around trying to get everything under control. She'd begun by quickly flipping through the paperwork in her father's office, setting the more serious inquiries aside for later (she knew she shouldn't have even considered it, but they were slowing her down) and continuing to check on everything else. Needless to say, her orders were being ignored despite her being left in charge while her father was away. This Morning, one of her lower workers had the audacity to compare her to her father, insisting that she had no clue what she was doing and needed more training.

She was not having a good day, and this man was not helping. 

"But, ma'am, your father would not be too pleased with this decision. . ." This was the third time she'd heard that today, and a little part of her believed it. The other side of her told her that if she took care of this, maybe her father would see that she was ready to run the company. "How about I just-"

She interrupted him, nearly boiling with aggravation. "No, that would just be a waste of time. If we want those terrorists to back down, we need to put this into action. Do you remember what happened with the cargo two months ago?" The man meekly nodded, "That was done because the security was _weak_! They weren't even paying attention!" 

"Ma'am, we're dealing with terrorists, criminals! This would be a waste of money! The head of security says that-" He was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. Hesitantly, Weiss pulled her phone from her pocket and her blood ran ice cold when she noticed that the person calling was her father. She swiped to answer the call and put the phone to her ear.

_"Why didn't you answer sooner?" _Weiss fought the urge to roll her eyes and turned away from her father's assistant, _"The phone rang three times before you answered."_

She could do this. He wasn't going to be disappointed in her, right? "My apologies, Father, I was dealing with something. . ." She glared back at the assistant.

Her father was silent for a moment, but she could hear tapping in the background and anxiety rose up inside of her. _"I have rented you an. . . Apartment in Mantle." _Wait, what? _"I want you to head down there and speak to Ironwood and move in immediately. You'll be representing the Schnee family, so do not mess this up." _He hung up, leaving Weiss beyond puzzled.

That was an odd order. . . Why would her father have rented her an apartment? Much less one in Mantle. He'd left her in charge of the SDC, she didn't have time for anything else if she wanted everything to be running smoothly by the time her father returned to Atlas. Who would she leave in charge while she was gone? "Uhm," Weiss turned to the assistant, "put everything on hold for the moment, I need to head out and take care of something. Call for Falcon, I need a ride."

"Yes, Ms. Schnee." The man replied, sounding smug. As he walked away, Weiss reluctantly started for the exit. Her father was up to something, she could feel it. Maybe he was just testing her to see where her priorities lay? That would make sense considering she was supposed to inherit the company soon. Yeah, that must be what he's doing.

This was just a test, a test that she would pass with flying colors.

* * *

[Later]

Weiss had arrived, been given the key, and found her new 'home' in the span of an hour. Ironwood had one of his men waiting for her arrival and the man had even offered to lead her to her new apartment, but the creepy look in his eyes spoke of his true intentions and she rejected. Weiss had made sure the young man wasn't following her before beginning her search for her apartment. Apartment 267, one of the largest rooms in the building from what she'd been told. The moment she'd unlocked the room with her keycard and stepped in, she'd been met with an unwelcoming rush of cold air and she immediately wanted to leave.

The lounge had clean white walls, freshly waxed birch hardwood floors, large double balcony windows, and space in the wall that she assumed would be for a television. Weiss set her bag down by the door and walked into the kitchen, which was separated from the lounge by a single wall. She sighed, noticing that the kitchen had black marble countertops, a small pantry room, dark wood cabinets and spaces for appliances such as a stove and a fridge.

She walked out of the kitchen and turned down a short hall connected to the lounge, finding the bathroom and her bedroom in a split second. The bathroom was nothing too fancy, just a small shower room and a white marbled sink. Her bedroom was a decent size, holding a miniature walk-in closet and a single balcony window.

Weiss shut the door and started for the empty lounge again, stopping dead center of the room. It still wasn't giving her a very homey feeling, she really couldn't see herself living here at all. Maybe it was because it was bought for her? Perhaps the homey feeling would come later once she's mostly settled in.

"Okay. Got the apartment checked out, now to find some furniture. . . If he hasn't already bought that for me." She rolled her eyes and slipped her bag over her shoulder, exiting the room and locking it with her keycard. She turned and started down the hallway again, approaching the elevator and tapping the 'down' button. The doors slid open instantly and she glanced over her shoulder to make sure nobody was following her, she walked inside and pressed for the lobby.

Releasing a deep, stressed sigh, she leaned against the back of the elevator as it began its descent. She had only two months to get everything done, she didn't need to waste too much time shopping. . . If only she could get some assistance, she could finish everything rather quickly. But, no, she doubted her assistant would help much anyway, he'd probably just pester her and get in her way.

She'd have him fired if he wasn't her father's assistant.

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open again, the people waiting outside started to pile in without hardly giving her a chance to get out. The reason why struck her in the face like a brick, the smell of alcohol and cigarettes was overwhelming. If she had to guess, they lived on the second floor, either highschool or college students. They seemed pretty young. . Did the apartment complex allow that?! Weiss fought the urge not to gag as the elevator doors closed. "Ugh, that stench," she muttered to herself, ignoring the few glares she received upon her entry.

Pulling out her phone to search for the nearest furniture store, she stepped out of the way and leaned against a wall. She murmurs and whispers about her presence didn't go unnoticed, but she chose not to acknowledge them. It wouldn't do much good anyway, judging by the way they spoke of her. . . Tuning out their voices, she tapped for the directions and bit her lip. It was about thirty minutes away from here, probably close to an hour if traffic slowed her down.

"Couldn't you have done this when I wasn't in charge of the company?" She grumbled under her breath, switching her phone off and started for the exit without paying attention to her surroundings. If she was in their way, they could just go around her.

"Eh-?!"

Weiss glanced up just in time to see a blur of red and black speeding in her direction. Her eyes widened in surprise and before she had a chance to get out of the way, another body collided with hers, sending them both tumbling to the floor. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you! I'm really, really sorry!" A vaguely familiar voice yelped as they detangled themselves from her, Weiss groaned and pushed herself up to sit on her knees.

The woman growled in irritation. That's just what she needed today. . . Ignoring the other person's attempt to help her up, she rose to her feet and swiftly turned to face the person. "Would you paying attention to where you're going?! You. . ." She trailed off, her words caught in her throat. She knew this person.

"Hey! You stepped out in front of me, I didn't see you! I apologized!" Silver eyes glared back at her before slowly widening in realization, "W-Weiss!" the woman took a step away from Weiss and averted her eyes. "H-hey, Weiss."

"Hey, Ruby. I don't think you should be running out here, you're lucky it was just me." Weiss couldn't help but smirk, if she had never met the girl before, she'd have bitched at her for sure. For good reasons, of course. "Wait a minute. Where's that fire you had just a second ago?"

Somehow, the world got brighter when the brunette cracked a small smile of amusement. "Well, I didn't know it was you, so, um, sorry." The brunette bit her lip, glancing to Weiss' side and behind her. Her brows furrowed. "You mean you don't have your boyfriend with you?"

White eyebrows shot up high, disgust and panic shot through Weiss and she grimaced, "My boyfriend?!" Who could she possibly be referring to? The only man she ever hung around was- wait, "Neptune?" Did the world really think he was her boyfriend? Ruby meekly nodded her answer, fiddling her fingers and keeping her head hung low. It caused guilt to stab the older woman in the heart. "No, no, Ruby. . . He's not my boyfriend, he's my best friend. I don't like him that way."

Ruby seemed to perk up and their eyes met again, "That's a relief. . . You're really pretty." She whispered audibly, Weiss chuckled and the brunette sulked away, her face turning red. "I said that out loud. . ."

Weiss just giggled, "Yeah, you did. Thank you." She changed the subject before Ruby could pass out from humiliation, "What are you doing here and why were you running through the lobby?"

"Erm," Ruby smiled nervously, "I live here. I moved in yesterday, I was just heading back to my apartment because I forgot my car keys and I need to buy furniture for my apartment because what I have isn't much, and I also need a job to keep buying furniture so I was going to also head out and see if I can find a job, so, um. . . Yeah."

She needed furniture?

"I could help you! I mean, with the furnishing thing. . . That's where I'm heading." The words slipped out before she could stop herself, and a part of her didn't want to take the offer back.

Ruby's eyes widened, "N-no! I can't do that! I can get it myself."

Weiss just smiled, "Please, I insist! I'll even have my driver take us there. Consider them housewarming gifts, I'm sure I can afford to pay for both of ours. " Well, she couldn't allow this girl to go alone. Who knows what would happen?

"I, um," a tiny smile came to the brunette's lips, causing Weiss' heart to flutter, "yeah, okay. . . It's a date, then!" Silver eyes widened and Ruby flew back, arms flailing as her face turned as red as her namesake. She started to stutter and Weiss smirked again. "Not like a date-date, I mean like, yeah, I'll go, you know? Ha-ha!"

Deciding not to allow the younger woman time to further humiliate herself, Weiss held up a hand "I know what you mean, Ruby." Weiss interrupted before the rambling girl, "Come on, let's not dawdle."

* * *

"I really like this one!" Weiss sighed as Ruby sat down on probably the fifth chaise that day, the brunette giggled and tilted her head back to look at the woman, "Heey, don't look so annoyed! Come on, we're shoppin' for you now, why don't ya try it out?" Within the past hour, Ruby had seemingly become more comfortable with her, with the excused occasional slip up.

Not that she minded, she actually thoroughly enjoyed her new friend's company. "Nah," Weiss smiled playfully, leaning over the back of the chaise and smirking at Ruby, "besides, you look pretty," she hesitated, half-wanting to stop her sentence there, "-comfortable there."

Ruby giggled, Weiss' hesitation obviously didn't go unnoticed. "Oh? I'd be even more comfortable with a princess sittin' next to me."

"You're bad at this," Weiss raised a brow, "do you think before you speak?"

"No."

She sighed for the hundredth time that day, a small smile creeping to her lips. "Well, be thankful you're cute." Weiss said before she could stop herself, her eyes widening as heat rushed to her face. What the hell did she just do? Noticing the other woman's matching expression, Weiss averted her eyes as quickly as she could.

"Weiss?" She turned her attention back to the brunette seated in front of her and she felt her heart skip a beat when she realized Ruby had sat up. "You're beautiful." Ruby whispered as Weiss leaned down, she could feel Ruby's breath against her. She was close enough that she could kiss her. . .

Reeling herself back to her senses, Weiss chuckled in amusement. "That one was good, I will admit." She playfully tapped her forehead against Ruby's, "But I'd rather you save it for your girlfriend, don't want to waste it all on me, do you?"

"I'd be fine with that." Ruby giggled.

Weiss' eyes widened and she looked away again, her heart racing as she cleared her throat. "Ahem, uh, we should probably keep shopping."

"Wait-wait-wait-!" Ruby sped after her and Weiss turned around just in time for the brunette to stop behind her. The younger woman blushed, "I think, um, if ya- if you just tried it out that you would like it. . ." She kicked her foot across the tiled floor, "It suits you. . ."

Weiss gaped at the woman for a long moment, staring into her friend's pleading silver eyes. Her heart skipped a beat and she let out a breath of reluctance. "I, uh," she peeked over Ruby's shoulder at the beige and white chaise, "okay. . ." She couldn't say no to those eyes, it was like looking at a puppy begging for treats. "But _only_ if we buy it."

Why did that sound like they were living together?

Ruby grinned, the sparkle returning to her eyes and sending Weiss into another spiral of emotions. "Yeah, okay! Deal!" She had to ignore the fluttering in her chest and the pounding of her heart, drawing a few slow breaths before quietly approaching the snowy white chaise with Ruby watching her. Hesitantly, she set her bag down and carefully made herself comfortable.

The moment she leaned back, she felt weight lift from her shoulders and she breathed a sigh of relaxation. "You look. . . Beautiful." Ruby whispered, causing Weiss to realize she'd closed her eyes. She opened her eyes and looked in Ruby's direction, her heart almost stopping in her chest when she noticed the brunette smiling sheepishly at her. "It almost looks like you have wings."

Weiss frowned and sat up to look behind her, "N-no! Hold on, I-I can take a picture? With your phone, of course." Ruby stopped her, gesturing to Weiss' purse as if asking for permission. The woman stared at the brunette for a long minute, searching her for any reasons not to trust her. She did offer to use _Weiss'_ phone, but how could she be sure- Ruby interrupted her train of thought. "I-I'll take the picture and hand it right back, but if you're not okay with it, I can just use my phone- or not take a picture at all?"

There was sincerity in her eyes. . .

"Front pocket," Weiss said gently, "just swipe the bottom corner. . ." Ruby smiled and withdrew the device from the front pocket, swiping to the camera and stepping away from the older woman.

Ruby hesitated, lowering the phone. She bit her lip and averted her eyes momentarily. "Hey, Weiss?" Weiss hummed in response, "Could you, er, lay down?" The woman frowned and Ruby's eyes widened, quickly piecing together what that could translate to. "N-not like that! It's just- I can capture the 'wing' better if you're, uh, laying down because it, uh- I'm sorry."

After a moment of silence, Weiss scoffed in amusement and rolled her eyes. "You're a complete disaster." She muttered, shifting so that she was laying on her side comfortably, "Is that good?"

The brunette smiled again, giggling nervously and offering a brief nod as a response. She knelt down and aimed the camera at the heiress, Weiss closed her eyes and relaxed her body. She was used to people asking her to pose for pictures considering she was a Schnee. Though, when she looked at the photographer, all she saw was either masked irritation at the mere sight of her presence, or the creepy glint of desire.

Once the camera flashed, she opened her eyes and glanced over to the woman. Ruby met her eyes and clicked her phone off, approaching Weiss as she sat up off of the chaise and never breaking eye contact. Silently, she handed over the phone and smiled, "So will you buy it?" Ruby asked sweetly, hopefulness glimmering in her eyes.

Weiss breathed a sigh of content, "Sure, add it to the list." Ruby pulled her own phone out and clicked it open to the notepad, "What else do you want?"

"Huh?" The brunette looked at her in confusion.

"Well, all you have is kitchen utensils and supplies, a bed, a couch, dinner table, and a bookshelf." Weiss replied, glancing over her shoulder at her friend, "Surely you plan on buying more than that. . .?" Ruby slid her phone back into her pocket, shaking her head quietly. "But, Ruby-"

She was cut off, "Please, Weiss, you've already bought enough for me. . . I will be just fine with what I have." Ruby pleaded, sounding both meek and desperate.

"I-. . . Okay." Weiss whispered, "So, you'll help me finish shopping, or do you wish to go home? 

Ruby smiled at her, "I'm fine right here."

* * *

[Ruby]  
-That night-

"Which building did she say she was in?"

Ruby opened her eyes at the sound of her sister's voice, sighing in realization and rubbing her eyes. She'd told her sister and Blake to stop by since they were both curious about her new apartment. She'd completely forgotten. She groaned and sat up, sliding her legs off the railing and standing to her feet.

"The one on the left." Blake spoke this time, her voice just as hushed and quiet as Yang's. If it were not for her excessive training, Ruby probably wouldn't have heard them in the first place.

"Which one on the left?" The brunette smirked as she leaned over, peering down from the balcony to see wavy red hair, Yang's wig, and a flash of white. Blake was hiding her ears using a headband. . . That had to be uncomfortable.

"This one!" Blake snapped in apparent irritation. The other woman turned to face her and crossed her arms.

"Well I've seen apartment buildings that look like a damn _house_!" Yang replied, not sounding too happy. She seemingly relaxed after a second, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap. . . It's just, they almost caught us earlier! We shouldn't be out here. . ."

"I know. . . Keep your voice down and try to act normal," Blake sighed as Ruby propped herself up on the balcony railing, staring down at them, "maybe you should give her a call-" The faunus paused for a moment. Blake tilted her head back and contacted purple eyes met with Ruby's silver pair. "Hello."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "Hello 'Irides'," she nodded to Yang, who stuck her tongue out at her in response, 'Ramara'." She smiled at Blake.

"Hi!" Yang waved up to her, "Can we come in? It's kinda cold out here!"

"Aren't you a space heater?" Blake raised a brow.

"Hey! I can get cold too! The wind out here is cold!"

Ruby giggled, "Alright, hold on. The lobby's closed, lemme find something. . ."

After a few minutes, she tossed a rope down to the girls who rested below and tied it to the side railing. Ruby gestured for both of them to come up. Blake grabbed the rope to make sure it wasn't loose by giving it a simple tug, when she felt it was secure enough she hoisted herself up the rope and jumped over the side railing. Yang tailed right behind her girlfriend.

Yang dusted herself off and stepped into the small apartment, taking her wig off and removing her contacts to look around. Ruby glanced at her sister and smiled when she noticed the approval in Yang's eyes.

Attached to the balcony was the dining room and kitchen, the two rooms separated by a simple piece of carpet. The lounge was rather small and consisted of a two-seater couch, a desk, and a television. There was a hallway leading to the back of the apartment. The kitchen was about the same size, holding a table, four chairs, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a stove.

Ruby gestured for two other women to follow her down the hall, stepping aside so that they could look around. At the end of the hall was a closet with the bathroom to the left of it, and on the right side of the hall, a straight line across from the bathroom, was the only bedroom in the house.

"Wow, nice place ya have here, Rubes!" Yang complimented, "Where did the stuff come from?" She asked as she slid the bedroom door open, her eyes widening at the sight of the twin bed. "Holy fuckin' shit," her jaw dropped, "it's an actual bed. Come to Mama." Without waiting for Ruby's response, the blonde made herself comfortable on the bed.

Taking a seat next to her sister, Ruby leaned back and crossed her legs, giving the larger women room when Blake joined them. "Um, Weiss bought it for me." The brunette whispered, "She insisted. . ."

"Ooooh," Yang sing-songed, rolling over and grinning at the younger woman, "Weiss, huh?" Blake, who was comfortably draped across her girlfriend's back, remained silent, watching Ruby with apprehension. "Details, tell me. Tell me now." Yang smiled.

"Not nothing too interesting," Ruby shrugged, "I just kinda knocked her down when runnin' to get my keys from the apartment. She offered to take me out and we-"

"Ohhh, like a date?"

"No! We just went to Saudira's Furniture and picked up some stuff." Ruby waved her hands frantically, "She said that mine could be delivered today and she'd be back in two or three days for hers. I mean, she has hers, but it hasn't been delivered because she has a place to stay right now and she didn't wanna spend all day arranging stuff when she had stuff to do."

A small smile tugged at the corner of Ruby's lips, "And, uh, that man I told you that was with her isn't 'er boyfriend. . . She doesn't even like him like that."

Yang chuckled, "See? What'd I tell ya?"

Blake sighed, "Ruby, she's still a Schnee. You can't tell if she has good intentions or not."

Yang glanced down, considering her girlfriend's words and breathing in deeply. Annoyance pricked Ruby when the blonde spoke; "Blake's right, you can never be sure with them. . . Maybe you shouldn't let your guard down, Ruby. She may be nice, but you don't know her."

_'I asked you to trust me.' _The brunette frowned, listening to her sister and Blake's conversation regarding her safety. She was thankful that they were worried about her, but she was twenty years old now, they didn't seem to understand that she needed to figure things out for herself.

"You need to be wary of her, Ruby," Blake whispered kindly, "if your Uncle has told us anything about the Schnee family, they are not very friendly people."

Yang snorted, "Yeah! Do ya remember how frustrated he was that one Thanksgiving? Mumbled on and on about how entitled and obnoxious they were, couldn't get him to shut up for nothin'!"

"Weiss is different," Ruby muttered under her breath, "she's _kind_. . ."

"Ruby," Blake sat up as Yang rolled off the bed, whispering something to the faunus before leaving the room, Blake turned back to the brunette, "do you know who Weiss Schnee is?"

"Yes."

"Then I advise you to be-"

"Y'all don't even know her!" Ruby snapped, irritation swelling in her chest, "You judge her for her name, that's it. You haven't met her! I asked you to trust me, I'm not as naive as I was a few years ago," Yang frowned and Ruby held up a hand to stop her before she spoke, "I know what I'm gettin' into, and I know how to get myself out of it if anything goes wrong."

Blake sighed, rubbing at her forehead. "Ruby, why do you want to trust this woman so badly?"

_'I felt the spark. . .'_ Ruby shook her head, "You wouldn't listen anyway." She looked at the clock and slid out of the bed, "It's 1am. I'll sleep on the couch. . ." She approached the door, not looking back at the black and yellow duo. "'Night."

Without another word, she left the room.


	7. Radiance

Chapter Six:  
Radiance  
[Ruby]  
Date: Monday, September 19th  
Angel Eyes - Love & Theft  
She likes whiskey with her water

She starts dancing when the stars come out  
She ain't your typical preacher's daughter  
She'll leave you dreamin' yeah ain't no doubt

* * *

"Ruby, you look amazing!"

The woman glared at her reflection in the mirror and disgust swelled inside of her. She was wearing so much makeup that she felt like she could be mistaken for a _clown_, "I feel like a fool." Ruby replied to her friend as calmly as she could, trying not to let her disapproval show. Penny was excited for the party, she'd gone all out and insisted that Ruby should look her best. Not wanting to disappoint her, Ruby had reluctantly agreed. But had she known she would look like this, she would have politely declined her friend's offer.

Penny scoffed as she approached her side, fiddling with a hair bow before facing the mirror. "Oh psch, you'll only have to wear it for a few hours." She hummed, turning to face the mirror and tying the pink bow into her hair. "Didn't you make the skirt, anyway?" She asked, gesturing to the black and red outfit Ruby was wearing.

The red woman sighed, "Yes, I did," she crossed her arms, relaxing herself before continuing, "but I was talkin' about the amount of make-up you put on me."

Penny smiled at her from the mirror, "Come on, you look great!" She said, whirling around on her ankle to stand in front of Ruby, "But, I do not wish for my friend to be uncomfortable. Wash it off, Weiss would find you pretty either way."

"Wha-?!" Ruby yelped as Penny sat her back down, "Weiss?! What does she have to do with anything?!"

Penny handed the woman a pack of make-up remover, "Everything!" The redhead checked her watch and cut Ruby off before she could speak, "We have approximately four hours before the party!"

Ruby rolled her eyes and opened the packet, "I don't know why you want me dressing up and looking fancy. I won't be talkin' to anyone."

Of course, Weiss would be there and probably would wish to speak to her. Maybe Ruby would be able to hold a conversation this time without getting embarrassed, she didn't want to humiliate the older woman by accident. Then again, with her luck, she would spill the entire fruit punch bowl all over the heiress. It'd probably be red and she'd be wearing a white dress. . .

A laugh came from behind her, "You'll be flirting with Weiss, so you need to be looking your best, Ruby! Who knows, you could even score a date! That is, if you don't end up kissing her."

Flirting? Well that was definitely almost just as bad as knocking fruit punch all over the woman. Wait, did she say _kissing_?

"What?!" Ruby shrieked, fumbling with the object in her hands before it slipped between her fingers and hit the floor. Replaying her friends' words in her head, a red blush crept its way up her neck and she briefly choked on her own breath. She would take Weiss despising her for staining her expensive white dress over accidentally kissing her. At least then she would have a small chance to redeem herself. . .

Pulling herself back together, Ruby spun her chair around and silver eyes met with Penny's green pair, "You're dead." She said under her breath.

Penny smirked, "Now, now, what would your new girlfriend think if she found out you killed your best friend?"

"She's not my girlfriend, Penny! Hell, she ain't even my friend!"

"Not _yet_! Wait. . . Oooh!" Penny stopped and tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I bet she would absolutely _love_ your pierced tongue-" She shrieked as the brunette lunged forward, "Ruby!" The redhead leapt back, narrowly avoiding the younger girl as she reached to grab her again.

"Penny, get back here!" Ruby shouted as her friend bolted out the door, "Hey! I'm not done with you!"

"No!" The redhead yelped as she raced to the door, Ruby trailing right behind her. "I'm right and you know it!" She laughed, kicking the bathroom door shut before Ruby could run through.

The brunette growled in humiliation as she pushed the door open. "No! I wouldn't kiss her!" She yelled, hoping she wouldn't disturb her neighbors. Penny laughed from somewhere in the apartment.

"Of course you would! You would say 'hey you're really pretty' and then kiss her! You know you would!"

"I would not!"

_'Oh Gods, what'd I do to deserve this?'_ Ruby followed the sound of her best friend's voice, embarrassment tearing at her chest all the while. _'Please end me now.' _

Before she could locate her friend, a knock came at the apartment door and Ruby released a loud sigh. It was more than likely one of her neighbors complaining about the noise and threatening to report her. . . Thankfully she had to leave for a party in a few hours, then Penny would return home and the apartment would be dead silent. She'd be safe from her friend's relentless teasing, too.

_Knock knock knock._

"One second!" Ruby called, marching down the hall as quickly as she could, Penny came out of her hiding place behind her. "I can hear you!" She yelled back at her friend, who only laughed in response. She grabbed the handle and opened the door as calmly as she could, she frowned when she noticed a tall blonde boy standing in front of her wearing a nervous smile. "Um, hello." Ruby raised a brow.

"H-Hi!" The boy greeted, "I'm Anxiety."

Well that's one way to introduce yourself.

"Uh," Ruby blinked, "Nice to meet you?"

The boy's eyes widened, "No- I mean, my name is Jaune! Jaune Arc! Not Anxiety! I, uh, my girlfriend suggested that I stop by and drop off these cookies, so here."

"Oh, okay. . ." Wanting to get the interaction over and done with so that she could leave, Ruby took the box and stepped back to shut the door, "Thank you."

"Wait, what's your name?" Jaune asked, stopping her before she could close the door. Ruby sighed and slid the door open again, "I told you my name, so it's only fair that you tell me yours. Unless you don't want to, that's fine, too."

Ruby smirked, "The name's Depression," she chuckled when he rolled his eyes, "sorry, I'm Ruby."

"Welcome to Beacon Apartments, Ruby!" The boy smiled, glancing behind her, "Oh is this your roommate?" He asked, gesturing to Penny as she walked up to take the box from Ruby.

Ruby shook her head, "She's just my friend." She placed her hand back on the handle, "Anyway, bye Jaune!" Before he could respond, she stepped back and flicked the door shut, turning back to face Penny. "Well he was awkward. . ." She muttered, glancing at the box as her friend opened it. A wave of anxiety and caution hit her like a freight train.

What if the cookies were poisoned? Before she could stop herself, the question slipped out; "How're the cookies? Are they spiked?"

The redhead sent her a ridiculous look, "What? Why would they be poisoned?"

"Just being cautious," Ruby smiled nervously, "um, let's put them up for later, ey?"

"Okay, I guess." Penny shrugged as Ruby flipped the box shut and picked it up, scanning the kitchen for a place to set it. With a grunt, the brunette set the box on top of the stove and opened the fridge, "Is there anywhere to put it?" The redhead asked, Ruby hummed her response and grabbed the box, sliding it in. "Are you sure they'll be okay in there?"

Ruby heaved a sigh at her friend's questions and turned to face her, "Were they freshly baked? Warm?" Penny shook her head, "They'll be fine." The brunette stood up and dusted her legs off, "Alright, how long until the party?"

"Uh," Penny glanced at her watch, "three in a half hours."

Ruby sighed, accepting her fate. "We should finish gettin' ready and head on over there."

* * *

**[Weiss]**

"Are you positive you don't wish to have your friend join you?"

Weiss tilted her head back slightly to look at her personal assistant, she offered a tiny smile to the younger woman and fixed her eyes on the mirror again. "I'm sure." She replied, clipping a snowflake accessory into her hair and turning to face the ginger. "Byzan, are you sure you don't want to attend the party?"

Purple eyes glanced at her in surprise, the woman stuttered and stumbled over her words; "Well, I-um, I thought we weren't-? What about- Are you sure this is a good idea, Ms. Schnee?" Byzan asked in sheer confusion, obviously trying to process the question she'd been asked.

Weiss placed a hand on her hip, "Of course it is, you all are the ones who decorated the banquet hall for the party, aren't you? You deserve a rest." Byzan opened her mouth to protest and Weiss held up a hand to cut her off, "My father isn't here. I suggest you should take the offer, who knows when my father will give you a day off again."

"If you insist," Byzan smiled slightly, "thank you, Ms. Schnee."

Byzan had come to work for the Schnee family when she was barely a teenager, Weiss had later learned that her mother had succumbed to an unknown disease and her aunt had taken her in. She'd been here ever since, and over time, she'd noticed a few things about the younger woman she found intriguing. Weiss wouldn't really call her a friend, but she knew that she would keep her secrets if she told her, therefore she'd come to trust the redhead.

"Speaking of a break," Weiss turned away from Byzan, who lifted her head to look at her again, "how is your aunt's retirement going?"

The question seemed to take her assistant by surprise again, but she didn't hesitate to answer. "Um, well Myst told me she said she's finally gotten to visit Menagerie."

Weiss raised a brow, meeting her assistant's eyes through the mirror. "Menagerie? Isn't that. . .?"

Byzan chuckled, "Yeah," she said carefully, "but she's always talked about an old friend she had growing up. Said the guy moved to Menagerie after his home in Vale was destroyed, so she went to see him after she retired."

_'Vale.'_ Her mind flashed back to Ruby and a small, giddy smile formed on her lips, remembering the brunette's deep, but adorable accent. Did all people from Vale have an accent? She would assume so, but none of them would be as cute as Ruby's. Weiss' heartbeat quickened. She would be seeing her again today, and then tomorrow when she was finally moving into her apartment. She'd be around her more often. . .

She would hear her laugh, she would see her smile and the sparkle in her eyes whenever she got really enthusiastic, she would see her stammering and giggling as she attempts to flirt, followed by the wild blush that comes to her face when she thinks she's humiliated herself when it was probably the most adorable thing in the world.

Her assistant giggled from behind her, "So, Ms. Schnee. Who has you smiling like a little schoolgirl experiencing her first crush?"

"That is a _horrible_ comparison." Weiss grumbled, "Anything but that."

"Very well," Byzan shrugged, "you're smiling like a woman who's just about to walk down the aisle."

"That's even worse. . ."

The redhead laughed again as Weiss readjusted her tiara, willing the blush away from her face. She had to keep Ruby out of her mind for the time being, as disappointing as it was. . . "But, seriously, Ms. Schnee," Byzan was smiling at her, "I've never seen you smile like that before. So tell me," she propped herself up on the chair, clearly having become comfortable in Weiss' presence now that she was being friendly, "who's the lucky guy? What does he look like?"

Weiss shook her head and turned to face Byzan, "I can't tell you, I must protect their identity." She smirked and clasped her hands together, "I suggest you run along and tell the rest of the staff that they'll be attending the party. I'll start letting everybody in."

The redhead nodded once and quickly left the room. Weiss examined herself in her reflection briefly before making her away out of her bedroom and towards the banquet room.

_"I hope to see you there, Weiss."_

The only thing Weiss was looking forward to about this party was seeing Ruby. That is, if she could find time to talk to her. . . She knew very well that relatives would show up at the celebration and other people would wish to speak to her about business matters, which was one of the many things she dreaded. Of course, she loved organizing the event and setting everything up, but that didn't mean she enjoyed interacting with the obnoxious people who would most definitely be there.

_'Ruby.'_ A tiny smile came to her lips. _'Seeing her would make today much better. . .' _

* * *

**[Ruby]**

Only forty-five minutes to the party and she was already wanting to leave; Penny had left with General Ironwood (who had revealed to be a tall, broad man with greying black hair and stern blue eyes) and Ruby had retreated to the far corner of the room alone.

Everybody surrounding her were high-class, important people and everyone knew everybody and their ranking. Even from her spot in the corner, she could hear folks talking about their businesses and a few conversations Ruby would have been better off not hearing. She also had to make sure that none of those women, such as Myst or even her sister, were present.

Why did she even agree to come? She knew she'd end up alone, and she couldn't exactly mingle with these people. She was a piece of furniture at this point. Ruby let out a sigh and leaned against the pristine white wall behind her, closing her eyes momentarily before opening them to scan the room. Noticing something move to her left, she turned her head and caught sight of a man with silvery white hair approaching Weiss.

A tiny smile came to Ruby's lips at the sight of the woman and she released a relaxed sigh. She couldn't force herself to look away. _'She seems so proud of herself.'_ She thought, having seen the wide smile Weiss was wearing. The heiress turned around when the man acknowledged her and the smile dropped just a bit, Ruby frowned and pushed herself off the wall, groaning in annoyance when a large, bulky man moved in front of her and blocked her view.

An indescribable, yet familiar, emotion washed over her and the brunette moved closer to Weiss' location, setting herself within earshot of the woman. Good, she could hear and see her, now she just had to listen for- _no_. She shook her head and reeled herself back into reality, pushing her instincts down and turning to leave.

"_Einen schönen Guten Abend euch Onkel Richard_." Ruby paused in her tracks when she heard an angelic voice speak a foreign language, one that she mentally detected to be German. Her heart almost stopped in her chest and she silently turned around, her breath caught in her throat. It was Weiss. . .

The man, assumingly 'Richard' smiled back at the woman and replied; "_Diesen wünsche ich euch ebenfalls_, my dearest niece." His accent wasn't anywhere near as stunning as Weiss', it was more gruff and hoarse than anything. "Where is your father?"

Weiss, on the other hand, seemed to carry a melodic, alluring tune. Ruby stepped closer when Weiss' voice easily slipped back into the English language, sounding just as beautiful as before; "He was called away on a business trip, he should be back around early November. I have been left in charge of the company until then."

Richard's grin widened, "Is that so? _Herzlichen Glückwunsch_! How is it so far?"

"Stressful," Weiss replied with a deep, reluctant sigh, "but I'm managing." Judging by the sound of her voice, she wanted the man to leave. Ruby knew the tone all too well, but some people just couldn't take the hint. Weiss suddenly glanced in her direction and a spark of electricity rolled through Ruby, she offered a tiny, meek smile and the heiress responded with a warm grin. She turned back to focus her attention on Richard when the man spoke again.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do just fine," the man turned his head and smiled nervously, "I have to go, my wife is calling for me." Weiss just nodded her response and Richard quickly walked away.

Ruby quietly walked up to take his place, watching the man disappear into the crowd. "Well hello," she glanced over her shoulder to see Weiss smirking at her, "do you need anything?" Weiss asked as Ruby faced her with a wild blush creeping up her cheeks. The mischievousness in Weiss' eyes caught her attention and an awkward grin came to her lips, Weiss knew she'd been watching.

She'd been caught red handed.

The brunette giggled, avoiding the woman's eyes, "I just, um," she looked at her, "I wanted to see you."

Weiss chuckled, "That's cute," she purred playfully before taking a step back, "well, now you've seen me!" Ruby nodded her quiet response, trying to keep her eyes from wandering. "What do you think of my outfit?" Weiss asked, giving a quick twirl and stopping to face the blushing woman again.

Was she giving her permission to ogle her?

Ruby scanned her up and down, her heart rate increasing in her chest as she took in the sight of the older woman. "You look. . . Wow, just wow. . ." It was all she could say; she was breathtaking! Weiss was wearing a baby blue dress that faded into a white gradient with small snowflake patterns around the hem and sleeves. Her eyes landed on ruby red earrings and a diamond red necklace, complementing the white and blue.

She was the definition of radiance. . .

"Thank you," Weiss blushed, "I suppose you're not too bad on the eyes yourself, little Rose." Blue eyes examined her for a brief second, "So who helped you dress?" The heiress smirked and Ruby rolled her eyes in response, "I'm sorry, but you came to a Mall with an old sweater and jeans. It's clear you don't have any fashion sense."

Ruby placed a hand on her chest in mock offense, "You wound me! I got all dressed up and lookin' fancy for you, and you choose to insult me." She giggled and shook her head, "Penny helped me."

Weiss hummed, something flickering through her eyes momentarily at the mention of Penny's name. "That's nice of her," Ruby watched as her attention trailed to the crowd and the woman released a quiet sigh, "everybody seems so happy." There was an odd air around her, "Well," Weiss smiled, looking back to Ruby, "I suppose I did a good job decorating and planning it!"

The light in her eyes had left. . . Ruby didn't like that at all, she didn't like that smile. What was wrong? "Yeah, the party's great, I suppose," Ruby's attention never wavered and she slowly reached to touch the woman's shoulder, retracting her hand when Weiss stiffened and leaned away from her. "Are you okay, Weiss?" She asked questioningly, offering a soft smile when Weiss glanced towards her.

"Is Penny your partner?" Weiss asked carefully, panic still evident in her eyes.

"Huh?" Ruby's brows furrowed, deciding to pay no attention to what she was seeing. "What do you mean?"

Weiss drew in a shaky breath, "I mean, is she your girlfriend?"

Silver eyes widened and Ruby shook her head, her hands flailing. "N-no! I don't like her like that! She's my best friend! I mean, yeah, she's sweet, but. . ." The redness returned to her cheeks and she averted her gaze momentarily to gather herself again. She locked her eyes with Weiss' again and another wave of humiliation washed over her, "I have my eyes on _someone else_. . ."

The light faded from Weiss' eyes for a moment, "Oh. . . Really? Who? What does she look like?"

Ruby sputtered for a moment before clearing her throat, "Well, um, she's gorgeous to say the least. Every time I see her," she hesitated and calmed herself, electricity sparking through when she spoke her next words, "every time I see her, it's like my heart wants to beat out of my chest. . . I really, really like her."

She lifted her head and opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off by Weiss. "Do you?" Weiss whispered hesitantly, "Tell me more."

The younger woman's face flushed and she started fiddling with the hem of her skirt, "I can't," she said, "you would figure out who it is. . ."

Weiss stared at her and Ruby bowed her head, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I promise I won't judge. . ."

Ruby cracked a small smile, "W-well," she started carefully, deciding to take a leap of faith, "she has the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, it's like they're crafted from snowflakes themselves!" Her voice faded into a whisper as she spoke, silver orbs staring into the mentioned pair of blue, "Lookin' into them, it's like looking at the frozen ocean during a long, cold winter night and yearning for the first sunlight of Spring . . . When her eyes light up, it's like a child on Christmas; it's like the ocean has melted and has felt the warmth of the Spring sunlight. They're a whole new person. . .

"Her voice," Ruby giggled and tore her eyes away from Weiss', "oh Gods her voice. . ." Warmth flooded her chest, "it's so soft, melodic, and comforting, I will never get tired of hearin' it. She sounds like an angel sent from Heaven above! She even looks like one," she heard Weiss hum in acknowledgement and she met her eyes, her heart racing in her chest, "and when I first looked at her, I felt some kinda spark that I'll never be able to forget, and I don't wanna forget."

The spark she'd felt when their eyes met for the first time was something she'd never forget, it would always be at the back of her mind. "I always wonder if she felt it too," Ruby whispered after a second, "but I guess I'll never know. . ."

Weiss' gaze lingered for a long minute, seeming to process her explanation before she decided to respond. Realization flickered through Weiss' eyes and a shadow of a smile came to her lips, there were stars dancing in her eyes. _'Does she know?'_ Ruby wondered quietly, _'Have I gone too far?'_

"Do tell," the heiress spoke again, her voice soft and laced with amusement, "what is her name?"

Ruby turned her attention to the opportunity that had just presented itself to her and a ball of anxiety grew within her. This was it. . . She could tell her, she could confess. But, what if Weiss rejected her? What if she ruined whatever kind of friendship they had? What if she never wanted to speak to her again?

_'What if she gives me a chance?'_

Hesitantly, Ruby moved to stand directly in front of Weiss. She could do this. . . She'd endured the training of a criminal and braved through it like a soldier, she could handle a bit of humiliation if she was turned down. Weiss seemed to focus her full attention on the young woman, waiting expectantly for her answer. Something told Ruby that she already knew somehow. Then again, she wasn't exactly subtle.

Ruby drew in a deep, shaky breath and readied herself. This was it. . .

"Weiss Schnee."

* * *

LOVE CONFESSIONS! -sobbing-  
How do you guys think Weiss will take it? Comment down below!

Translations:  
Einen schönen Guten Abend euch Onkel Richard - A wonderful evening to you, Uncle Richard.  
Diesen wünsche ich euch ebenfalls - I wish the same to you  
Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Congratulations


	8. Heiress and the Traitor

Chapter Seven:  
Heiress and the Traitor

[Weiss]  
Date: Monday, September 19th

Just a Kiss -Lady Antebellum

Just a kiss on your lips in the moonlight

Just a touch of the fire burning so bright

And I don't want to mess this thing up

I don't want to push too far

* * *

**Responding to Reviews!  
**WhiteRosePlanter:I hope this chapter doesn't disappoint! I'm new to writing drama and action ;-;**  
**LostNeko120:Hmm... Perhaps a second confession will be made?**  
**Unnamed Stranger: (another below) Or, things can run smoothly~! Untiiill something else... .**  
**(About My Princess - I'm not sure why it updated. I was reading through the sequel and was **_very _**dissatisfied with it, so I removed it. I guess it updated when I removed the chapter.)**  
**Mayonnaise: I'm glad you like it!

* * *

_"Weiss Schnee."_

The world fell silent, she heard nothing but white noise. Was she dreaming? The silver-eyed beauty liked her, and she sounded honest about it too, unlike the countless other confessions Weiss had heard since she'd come of age.

_'I wonder. . .' _She turned her attention to Ruby's eyes, searching them for any source of desire or selfish want like everybody else did. They were genuine. . .

"Me?" Weiss whispered after a moment, feeling as though her heart had stopped beating as she processed the confession, "But, why me?" Thankfully, Ruby hadn't heard that part. She was confused, only men sought her out and that was simply for her name and social status. Ruby seemed to be different, and Weiss didn't really know how to comprehend it. Sure, she had her suspicions that silver-eyed beauty was into her, but she honestly hadn't expected them to be confirmed, or reciprocated.

She hadn't been trained for this sort of thing.

Ruby smiled nervously, the honesty in her gaze never wavering even in the slightest. "It may seem weird, but I really wanna learn more about you." She shook her head, seeming to regret her choice of words, "If you're not okay with that, then I don't mind. I'm sorry. . ."

Well, she wasn't good at asking someone out, that was for sure. Then again, she didn't exactly seem like the social type. Weiss let out a giggle and the light in Ruby's eyes dimmed, Weiss shook her head and stepped closer to the brunette, "You're bad at this," she whispered and Ruby averted her gaze, "it's cute." A pair of silver eyes glanced at her.

A thought struck the older woman and she smirked. "Although," Weiss stepped around to Ruby's side, "how do you know I'm not already in love?" She wasn't, she just wanted to tease the poor girl. It was simply a little test, if Ruby couldn't handle this, then she didn't deserve her affections.

This could also be an easy way to find out whether or not Ruby was a stalker, even though she had her doubts about that.

Ruby seemed to go rigid, her eyes glancing to the food tables before tilting her head downwards momentarily. "Um, y-you were flirting with me? A-and you said you didn't have a boyfriend."

"No," Weiss corrected, "I said Neptune isn't my boyfriend, I never said I didn't have one." She smirked, "And who is to say that I haven't a _girlfriend_?"

The brunette lifted her head and her eyes met with Weiss' as she stopped in front of her, Ruby fiddled with her fingers for a second before relaxing herself. "Well," she whispered, Weiss had to strain to hear her over the obnoxious laughter that had broken out, "I'm not forcing myself on you, if you're happy, then that's all that matters. . ."

_'Wait, what?' _Taken by surprise, Weiss' brows furrowed in confusion, "Pardon?"

Ruby forced a smile, but she sounded genuine when she spoke; "If you're happy, then I respect that you're in love with someone else. . . I would love to be your friend, but if you don't want me around, I'll leave. . ."

She was honest. If Weiss was truly happy with someone else, she would back off without hesitation. She'd settle with being a friend, but she'd be okay if Weiss didn't want that either. "You're serious." Weiss whispered in astonishment, "You would really do that. . .? Even if it hurts you?" Weiss already knew the answer that the woman would give.

"You're my friend," Ruby whispered under her breath, her eyes once again glancing in the direction of the food, "I want you to be happy. Whoever can make a smile come to your face must be a wonderful person, and I wish you the best." Ruby turned to leave, offering the heiress a soft smile before turning away.

"Wait!" Weiss stopped the brunette before she could leave, her heart leaping to her chest. Ruby looked back at her and the woman carefully walked up to her side, anxiety brewing inside of her. "Can I tell you about the girl I like?"

Ruby frowned, "You said you were-"

"I never said I was taken." Weiss corrected again, calming herself.

"Oh. . ."

Weiss drew in a breath and let it out slowly, "Anyway, the girl I like. . . She's happy, bubbly, and energetic, she has this talent where she always seems to bring a smile to my face." Ruby fixed her attention on her and Weiss offered her a warm smile, "I could be having the worst day possible, but seeing her just brightens my day, no matter what I'm doing. At first, I thought maybe she was a stalker, but she didn't even know my name. When she found out, she didn't seem to care about my name or my ranking." Weiss paused, considering her next words before speaking again, "She's humble, sweet, and respectful. She would give up her chance at happiness just to see someone else smiling."

Ruby was watching her carefully, hurt flickering through her eyes every now and then, but she was still listening. The dense dolt. . . "Oh, and her eyes are a color I have never seen before. They're unique, and they make her all the more special."

"What color are they?" Ruby asked, still clearly oblivious.

Weiss smiled, "They're an exquisite shade of silver."

Ruby blinked multiple times, obviously trying to comprehend Weiss' description. She shook her head, "Wait, my eyes are silver. You know someone else with silver eyes?"

Weiss sighed in exasperation, "Add dense to the list." Ruby furrowed her brows, and Weiss decided to take a mental step forward, "I was also wondering if she would like to, um, go out somewhere? Tomorrow, if we can?"

"Why're you askin' me-" Silver eyes widened and heat rose to Weiss' cheeks, she instantly looked away in embarrassment. Time stood still, almost seeming like neither one of them dared to take a breath. "You like _me_. . ."

"Did I not just say that?" Weiss muttered under her breath, her heart racing a mile a minute. She willed away the blush to look at the red woman again, "I don't know why, or how, but I felt that spark as well. . . Ever since, I literally haven't been able to get you off my mind."

"W-wait, you mean. . .Y-you felt the spark?" Ruby stuttered in surprise, astonishment and pure joy plastered to her face. "You're not lying? You really felt it . .?" Confused by her friend's reaction, Weiss chose to simply nod in response, waiting for the brunette to explain, "I-I'm sorry, it's just that my sister always used to tell me that I would feel some sort of spark when I meet, um. . ."

Ruby tapped her fingers together in embarrassment and Weiss let, "Ruby," the younger girl shifted her attention back to her, "You don't have to stop yourself in front of me. It's fine, I promise. . ."

"No," Ruby shook her head, "I'll tell you later. Oh, um, speaking of which. . . maybe we can discuss it tonight at your apartment? Considering you're already moved in." She was looking towards the food again. . .

That's right, Weiss had an apartment to return to tonight. This would definitely take some getting used to. She'd also probably have to rearrange her furniture, the men she hired to furnish her home probably just pushed everything anywhere and everywhere. Gods, she was not looking forward to that. . .

Though, she was looking forward to seeing her sister. Maybe she could help her out. 'Wait, Winter's coming over tonight!' She didn't want to say no to Ruby, though. She could squeeze in both meetings, she was trained to be a CEO after all. "Of course. . . Sounds great. Except, my sister is going to be coming over, so I'll let you know when she leaves."

Winter never did stay for an extended period of time, only ever a few hours. . .

"Can I give you my number?" The brunette asked, "That way you can just call or text me when she leaves if you still wanna talk in person." Sincerity shone in her silver eyes again and Weiss' heart fluttered, "If you're not comfortable with being alone in a room, we could sit in the lobby?" Weiss remained silent and Ruby's gaze glanced to the floor momentarily, "I'm sorry, I just want you to know that I bear no ill intentions. . ."

"I know you don't," Weiss smiled, "you had numerous chances to show your true colors, but you're genuine." Perhaps that's what Weiss liked about her. Ruby was sweet, trustworthy, humble, and _real_. Weiss had been around plenty of men who were simply lusting after her, she'd never given them a second thought and turned away. There was no desire, nor greed in Ruby's eyes.

She stepped closer to the taller woman, briefly getting lost in the smell of roses. Weiss clicked herself back to her senses, "Hand me your number when you leave, I can't be carrying out a slip of paper while greeting guests."

Ruby nodded, "Alright," she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes now wandering to the desert table, "what is this party for, though?"

So apparently Penny didn't tell her, "This is the city of Atlas' one-hundredth anniversary, all citizens of Atlas are welcome to join the party."

"What if you weren't born Atlesian?"

"If you're a legal citizen of Atlas, you're more than welcome." Weiss smirked, "Why? Are you going to tell me that you're an illegal immigrant?" Wouldn't that be something?

Mischief flickered through the brunette's silver gaze, the younger woman stepped closer. "Sure," she replied, her voice laced with amusement and playfulness, "I've illegally moved here from Vale and I'm I'm workin' for a secret agency and I have been assigned to whisk the beautiful, wealthy heiress off 'her feet and ride into the sunset." The woman added a dramatic bow and a smile came to Weiss' face.

"Well," she started, wearing a sly smirk, "consider me 'whisked', then." Her head snapped up at the sound of music drifting through the banquet hall, right on schedule! She looked back to Ruby and her heart fluttered, "Since the music has begun," Weiss held out her hand with a confident smile on her face, "would you like to join me for a dance, Ruby?"

Ruby blinked once, twice, and finally reached to take Weiss' hand. "Sure." She replied meekly, "I'd love to."

"Splendid!" Weiss grinned, pulling Ruby to the dance floor, "Relax and allow me to take the lead, okay?" Ruby nodded and Weiss slid her hand under the younger woman's arm, gently resting it on her hip as their hands interlocked.

Upon the contact, Weiss' heart fell to her stomach. So that's why she'd been eyeing the food table every few minutes. . . Weiss would have to do something about that later. Clearing her mind, she took the lead by gliding her foot to the left, Ruby immediately followed. It felt strange to be the one in the lead, but it was something she could get used to.

She lifted her eyes to meet Ruby's silver pair. A spark of electricity coursed through her again and her heart skipped a beat, it seemed as though those eyes had gotten brighter somehow. . .

"I want to ask you something." Weiss whispered after a moment, the two of them having fallen into a comfortable pace. Ruby seemed to have no problem gliding across the floor, she was a natural! Then again, she was wearing flats. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Just one older sister," Ruby replied with a tiny smile, "but she can be a pain in the ass."

Weiss giggled, "Yeah, I can understand that." She stepped back and lifted her arm, twirling her partner with a smooth gesture of her wrist. Their hands interlocked again and their pace sped up, "I have a little brother, and sometimes I swear he's Satan in disguise."

"Ah," Ruby shook her head, "you ain't met Satan unless you make my sister mad. Seriously, I think her eyes even turn red!"

Weiss let a dramatic breath of relief, "Yeah, that does sound scary. Let me guess, her hair can catch fire, too?" Ruby was easy to talk to, Weiss felt like she could open up around her, she didn't have to fear stepping out of line.

Ruby laughed, the sound was like music to Weiss' ears. "Wouldn't put it past 'er, to be honest! I cut her hair one time out of spite and I'm very surprised that _she _didn't turn to flame! She literally looked like the devil himself!" The brunette seemed to come closer, somehow keeping their tempo as they danced. Weiss glanced down to the brunette's lips, her heart rate picking up; she was so close that Weiss wanted to just lean in and- wait, no.

Though, her lips did look soft. . . Would it really be such a bad thing?

"Weiss," Ruby's teasing voice caught her attention and Weiss' eyes glanced up quickly, her breath hitching when she noticed the playful, knowing expression on her face, "what're you looking at?"

"Nothing. I'm just thinking." Weiss replied automatically, but Ruby just smirked and the stinging embarrassment of being caught struck her in the chest.

Ruby hummed, cocking a brow in amusement. "Thinking about what?" Weiss could feel her breath on her ear. "About kissing me?"

"No!" Weiss yelped almost immediately, heat rising to her cheeks. Of course she hadn't been thinking that! She'd only met the girl recently, why would she even consider kissing her? They weren't even dating, they'd only known each other for a week! That would be wrong! Then again. . . It would be fun to bend the rules a bit here and there.

Ruby purred again, leaning close and tilting her head ever so slightly. "You didn't say no~." Weiss' heart rate picked up and she was positive the color of her face matched Ruby's namesake now. She could feel Ruby's warm breath against her ear.

They'd stopped dancing.

_'So, she's assertive.'_ Weiss noted.

"I wouldn't mind." Ruby smirked.

"I'm not completely against the idea," Weiss whispered honestly, one arm sliding around Ruby's waist as mischief flickered through silver eyes, "I actually kinda like it."

What?

Ruby giggled and her hand slid down to Weiss' hip, the other coming up to gently grasp Weiss' chin. The woman's mind became momentarily hazy, her eyes staring into Ruby's as the world started to go deaf around her, the scent of roses embraced her and she felt a sense of relaxation wash over her.

Ruby shifted forward, catching Weiss' attention with a playful smirk. Suddenly alert, blue eyes glanced around them for anybody looking in their direction; her fear and worries became nonexistent when she noticed that everybody was off in their own world.

The crowd and the music would keep everybody's attention off of them.

She moved her eyes back to Ruby, who reached up to tuck a lock of white hair behind Weiss' ear. parks of electricity flew through her at the contact, Ruby leaned forward, giving Weiss time to reconsider before slowly closing the gap. As their lips met, a warm spark of electricity raced through her and she could feel her heart trying to beat out of her chest.

Weiss' mind nearly shut off; Ruby's lips were soft and healing, she wasn't too rough and she wasn't at all timid. Her kiss was sweet. For a moment, she was at a loss for words. She didn't know how to describe this. . . Heavenly? Divine? Enchanting?

None of those were good enough.

It was. . . Perfect.

All too soon, Ruby pulled away and a pang of loss and loneliness twisted inside Weiss. She wanted that back. . . Before she could ask for another, the mood was broken. "Ruby?" The brunette briefly met her eyes before lifting her head in the direction of the entrance, her brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?" Weiss asked shyly, glancing over her shoulder to follow Ruby's gaze.

Nothing. . .

Ruby went rigid and stiff, she almost appeared to be a predator waiting to pounce on its prey. "Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss glanced over her shoulder again, following Ruby's eyes to a tall, broad man with a black beard wearing a white and black tuxedo. He looked towards them and straightened his red tie, his attention lingering on Ruby for a split second before walking away.

"Where's the exit?" Ruby asked quietly as Weiss turned back to her, the brunette had locked her attention on Weiss now. She seemed apprehensive. . . Scared even. "I need to get you out of here."

"What's happening?" Weiss asked in response, "Who is he?"

Hesitation flickered in Ruby's silver eyes and guilt struck Weiss in the heart, she was practically trembling. "Weiss, please," the brunette pleaded, "I'll explain later."

The music came to a stop and Weiss stepped away from Ruby while the other dance partners took a bow, the two of them made their way to the far corner of the ballroom.

Once they were out of sight, she turned back to the silver-eyed woman. "I can't let anything happen to you." Ruby whispered, desperation clear on her face.

Weiss' brows furrowed, "Well first, you should start by telling me what's going on." She was getting a little bit tired of not receiving a proper answer from the woman, if she wouldn't tell her she would just figure it out herself. "Who is he? Why do I need to leave? What are you planning?"

"I didn't plan anything!" Ruby cried, glancing behind Weiss again. "Please, Weiss! They're here for you." Weiss' eyes widened and Ruby shook her head, heaving as she finally made her explanation; "They hold your family responsible for what happened with the faunus event-"

Another, slightly louder song came on in the background.

"My family?!" Weiss snapped, "Do you know what those filthy faunus have done to my family?! To the human kind in general!? We are being slaughtered by those savages! Several of my family members were killed and countless board members were executed because of them! They deserved what happened at that damned revolution!"

Ruby sighed, "So you're saying that innocent children and mothers deserved to die?" Her voice was soft, but sharp. "You're tellin' me that families deserved to be killed for what the terrorists are doing, just because of their race or affiliation?"

Weiss groaned, rubbing her forehead in irritation. This girl just didn't get it! "The families were full of bad people, those children would grow up to be liars, thieves, and murderers Ruby!"

"You don't know that! They could be _forced_ into the system with no escape!" Why did that sound like she knew from experience?

"They would join by will! All faunus are the same, they're low-life rapscallions!"

"If all faunus are the same, does that mean you're just like your family, too?" Ruby hollered, the music causing their argument to fall on deaf ears to everybody except themselves. "Are all Schnees entitled, obnoxious, scheming assholes who only care about what's best for themselves?!"

Weiss fell quiet, Ruby's words repeated in her head like a broken record. When Weiss didn't respond, Ruby continued, "See?" She whispered tenderly, the tension from her shoulders ebbing away. "You're not like the rest of them. That means these people being murdered are most likely innocent, yet they're being pushed around, beaten, assaulted, and who knows what else, just for being alive, for being different."

"But, what about those executions and- and those murders?" Surely they had something to do with it, right? "If the faunus didn't do it, then who did?" Realization struck her and irritation stung her again. The cute, silver-eyed brunette she'd met at the mall was associated with those terrorists trying to bring down humanity. . . She'd _kissed _a _criminal_. "And how do you know-"

"Weiss, please, not right now." Ruby begged again, her voice cracking, "I'll explain everything tonight, I promise! Just let me get you outta here!" She looked up over Weiss' again and her eyes widened in horror. Weiss followed her gaze and rolled her eyes, there was nothing to look at. There were just two men and a blonde conversing, it was nothing unusual.

Of course the cute ones couldn't be trusted. . .

"You don't have to protect me from _anything_." Weiss growled, turning her back towards Ruby. Her chest was aching and it felt like her soul was being torn apart, but she had to keep her composure. "Consider yourself lucky I don't turn you into the authorities. Get your friends and leave, I'm not falling for your tricks."

That spark hadn't meant anything. . . She'd been fooled. Feeling a rush of heartbreak and betrayal flood through her, Weiss pressed her finger to her lips. The magic and sweetness of the kiss still lingered in her mind, battling the rage and hurt she was experiencing. All Ruby had wanted to do was distract her, right?

Ruby's voice cracked again when she spoke, full of regret and anguish. "This-this isn't a trick, Weiss! Please, you gotta believe me! They're gonna hurt you, or even kill you!"

Then again. . . She was trying to warn her.

All eyes turned to them and Weiss stopped dead in her tracks. Fantastic, now the brat has gotten everybody's attention. . . That's what she wanted.

Weiss turned around, "You're delusional." She muttered coldly, trying to ignore the ache in her heart when she noticed the fearful expression Ruby was wearing. Not making eye contact with her, she started away from the brunette. "I'm giving you one last cha-" Her gaze landed on a pair of black, polished boots.

She stopped dead in her tracks, eyes coming up to meet the barrel of a pistol aimed at her head. "Hello, Schnee." The man greeted kindly, "I'm afraid the party's over." He looked over her shoulder towards Ruby, "Say bye-bye to your little girlfriend, Reaper."

Time slowed down considerably and Weiss watched, frozen, as the man's finger descended to the trigger, her body ran cold and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. She was at gunpoint. She was going to die.

"WEISS!"

She should've listened to Ruby. . . The entire time, she'd been trying to _protect _her and _Weiss _had been the one to cause a scene; she'd walked straight into her own death.

Hurried footsteps echoed from behind her.

"Leave her alone!"

She didn't want to die. . . _'No. I'm not- I don't-'_ Why hadn't she listened to her?

The man pressed down on the trigger and the gun reeled back.

"_NO_!"

A loud, deafening noise crashed through the room; a strong pair of arms grabbed her waist and something collided with her body, nearly snapping her out of her trance. Weiss felt herself falling, a weight landed on top of her. A warm wave embraced her, attempting to shield her from the rough collision to the floor, but it was too late; her head hit the floor and her vision went black, the rest of her body falling limp as her eyes closed.

There was a dull ache in the back of her head, she was regaining consciousness. Weiss saw red in her vision when she opened her eyes again, it looked like a swirl of red rose petals and it was spinning around her. Warmth enveloped her body, as if her soul was starting to intertwine with the red.

"Don't touch her! Stay away!"

Sound slowly began to return, but her vision remained too blurred for her to focus. Weiss could hear ear shattering screams and gunfire. A noise in the back of her head kept whispering that this was her fault.

Weight lifted up off of her slightly, staying close enough to cover her. Weiss' vision cleared ever so slightly and she could make out what looked to be a tall, broad figure standing above them.

"Get. Away. From her."

She knew that voice. It was Ruby. She was. . . She was protecting her.

"We always knew you would betray us, Reaper." The voice sounded distorted and hoarse, it took Weiss a long minute to register their words. "Might as well dispose of you both," Weiss closed her eyes again, unable to keep them open. The ache in her head had become too much. "The heiress and the traitor. He will be so proud. . ."

Weiss wanted to sleep. . . She couldn't keep her eyes open.

"How about a Mister Cerulean with his brains blown out?" An unfamiliar cocky voice said, but Weiss didn't have the energy to open her eyes and see who it was.

The noises began to fade again. She was so tired. . .

* * *

To explain what happened: Ruby tackled Weiss out of the way, and Weiss hit her head, which knocks her out. The red/soul thing will be explained in the next chapter. As for the action, I'm still learning how to write this stuff and TLaD is more or less my practice. So if anybody has advice, I'm willing to hear it!

~Dixie


	9. Making Amends

_**Chapter Eight**_  
_**Making Amends**_

**[Ruby]**  
Date: Tuesday, September 20th  
One Kiss - Sofia Carson  
_Keep it cool, keep it calm_

_Think she's loved me all along_

_But maybe I got it wrong_

_So I don't know_

_She's so good, got my back_

_But maybe I'm just too bad_

_Could we be a perfect match?_

_Now, I don't know. . ._

* * *

It's been an entire twenty-four hours since the assault at the banquet, four people had been killed and seven were injured. The police arrived on the scene rather quickly and managed to capture three of the people responsible for the shooting, they'd also discovered small bombs hidden all across the room and shut off the house to scan for any more hidden throughout the building.

One of the people they'd captured was impersonating a servant and a latent bomb was smuggled inside the man's jeans pocket, the manor was deemed unsafe until further notice. The attack was everywhere throughout the news, and the individuals responsible had just been put in jail.

Thankfully, her sister escaped safely. She'd used Ruby and Weiss' injuries as an excuse and accompanied them to the emergency clinic. Ruby had taken the bullet, yet fortunately it'd only penetrated her shoulder and would leave minor damages, nothing she couldn't handle.

But now. . .

She couldn't go back, she was positive that the word of her betrayal had already reached their boss. Now, she would be targeted, they would be coming at her left and right. Blake and Yang had been understanding and were willing to help her hide so that she could continue a normal life, but she knew they would still need her help every now and then, which could cause a few problems.

"Why did you toss everything away for this girl?" A tap on her bandaged shoulder caught Ruby's attention and she turned her head to look at her sister, wearing her red wig as Irides.

Yang removed her contacts and lilac eyes stared back at Ruby full of concern. "You coulda been killed, you're lucky I disarmed him before he could do any more damage."

Ruby smiled and turned back to the woman across from her, a sly little smirk coming to her lips when she noticed Weiss' breathing pattern had changed. "There's a reason I asked you to trust me about her, Yang." Ruby whispered quietly, her voice laced with affection and happiness, she glanced over to Weiss again, "I felt the spark. . ."

Yang's eyes widened.

"I was in the Mall with Penny, she pointed Weiss out and I looked at her, she looked at me. We both felt that spark, Yang. That's why I couldn't let anything happen to her." She turned her eyes away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell y'all."

"The spark," Yang started carefully, sitting down beside her, "as in the Soulmate spark. The one I told you about when you were younger and the one Blake and I felt?"

"That's the one." Ruby grinned, her silver eyes sparkling. She got up from her bed and made her way over to Weiss', Yang coming to her side and placing a hand on her back to steady her. When she arrived in the hospital, she'd learned that next to a bullet to the shoulder, she had sprained her left ankle tackling Weiss out of the way. As a result, Weiss had received a minor concussion and Ruby took full blame.

She should've been quicker. . .

"How did my little sister wind up with a _Schnee _as her Soulmate?" Yang sighed.

Ruby giggled and shook her head, "Ironic ain't it?" Yang hummed and Ruby sighed, "Y'know, when I tried to get her to safety, she yelled at me, she turned against me. . ." Her eyes went downcast. "I wanted her to be smiling at me again. . . I wanted her to know that I'd keep her safe." Ruby hesitated, "I didn't know what it was to want something so badly, I didn't know what it felt like to have your soul ripping your insides apart until she looked at me the way she did."

Yang leaned against the wall beside her, knowing Ruby had more to say. "So. . .? What'll you do when she wakes up? What if she still hates you?"

"I don't think she hated me Yang," Ruby shrugged, "I think she was just hurt. . ."

Yang chuckled lightly, tossing her head back and resting it against the wall. "You already sound like you're in love with'er."

Ruby straightened her posture the best she could, using the bed railing to hold herself upright and place most of her balance on her right side. "Well, I wanna fall in love with her. . . If she doesn't want that, I'll leave."

Yang sighed, shaking her head in disapproval. "This is why I asked you not to get too close to her, Ruby. What if she rejects you? I don't want ya gettin' hurt."

The brunette turned her attention away from Weiss, looking her sister dead in the eyes."Yang, knowing she's alive and happy would be more than enough for me if she rejects me."

"Be careful. I don't want anything happening to you because of her." Yang muttered hesitantly, "A lotta' bad people hide behind those pretty faces."

Ruby rolled her eyes, ignoring the irritation bubbling up inside of her when she heard the sound of her sister's sneering tone. "I'll be fine, Yang."

"Ruby, don't you remember what Blake said. . .?"

_'I remember asking you two just fucking trust me, but nooo, Big Sister always has to be right.' _

Ruby's grip tightened on the bed frame, "She's a Schnee and I can't tell if I can trust 'er or not." She repeated, her voice dripping with annoyance, "I also remember you saying we can't trust Blake because she used to work with-"

Yang cut her off, jumping to her girlfriend's defense."That's different, Ruby! She didn't wanna be there! She escaped and came to us, she didn't ask to be there-"

"Exactly!" Ruby snapped back, lowering her voice and trying to keep the raging anger inside of her contained. "Weiss didn't ask to be born a Schnee, just like Blake didn't ask to go through the shit that she did. You're judging my Weiss before you-"

"_Your_ Weiss?!"

"She's _my_ Soulmate, Yang! I didn't meddle with y'all's, so you can stay your overprotective ass out of mine!"

Yang didn't respond, but her eyes told Ruby everything she needed to know. Even after this, the blonde still wouldn't trust the other woman, but the remorse said that she wished that she could. _'Why can't you?' _

Calming herself, Yang started for the door, "I'm going home." She informed her quietly, leaving the room and closing the door.

Ruby sighed and turned back to the bed, taking a seat in the chair next to her and propping herself up on the bed. She remained silent, watching the heiress for a long minute as she calmed down. Her heart was racing a mile a minute, stinging with betrayal and hurt from her sister's lack of trust. Noticing Weiss' breathing had changed again, she chuckled weakly. "I know you're awake," she said playfully, "your breathing patterns changed before Yang came in. I'm sorry you had to hear all of that. . ."

She hadn't wanted to say anything, wanting to let the woman rest for as long as possible. After all, she looked peaceful and content. Ruby hadn't really wanted to risk seeing hatred in her eyes again if she'd woken her up. . . But, it was now or never.

"Weiss~" Blue eyes blinked open and Ruby smiled when Weiss looked at her, "Good morning, gorgeous."

Relief washed through her when she saw affection and admiration in Weiss' icy orbs, "Ruby." Weiss greeted softly, lifting a hand to search for Ruby's. The brunette gently grasped her hand and interlocked their fingers, electricity coursed through Ruby and she released a sigh of content.

Weiss didn't hate her.

If Weiss wanted her to leave, she would, forget the graze wound in her shoulder, she'd walk right out of the hospital if she had to. But Weiss would still be in the hospital because Ruby had gotten her injured. . .

She'd almost died. . .

"You're okay," Ruby whispered thankfully, gently pressing her forehead to Weiss' hand and drawing in a choked breath, "I'm sorry, I shoulda stopped your fall somehow, but I wasn't quick enough, and now you're hurt and-"

"It's not your fault," Weiss cut her off and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "you were trying to protect me, you didn't think about that. It's okay," she smiled, "besides, it was just a minor headache, nothing serious. You, however. . ." Blue eyes trailed to Ruby's bandaged shoulder, "I seem to recall something about a twisted ankle and a shoulder injury."

Ruby blinked in surprise, "Um, yeah, but I'm fine, really. The bullet just grazed my shoulder, and my ankle is nothing serious." She was used to minor injuries from training, this was nothing. Ruby raised a brow as Weiss pushed herself up with one hand, delicately shifting to the edge of the bed and beckoning for Ruby to join her. "Wha-?"

"Get up here, you dolt!" Weiss said in slight aggravation, sighing and laying back against the bed, her eyes still fixed on Ruby. "You need to get the weight off of your ankle and rest."

"I have my own bed for that." Ruby responded in confusion, hesitantly climbing up to lay beside Weiss. Her heart skipped a beat when Weiss smiled at her and silently draped an arm across Ruby's body. "Weiss?" The younger woman asked, "What're you doing?"

Weiss was silent for a long moment, she lifted her head to meet Ruby's gaze. "I'm taking care of my _Soulmate_. Is that really so wrong?"

Weiss called her 'Soulmate'. . . She accepted her.

Affection rolled through Ruby like waves along the shore, soothing and welcome,and she tenderly pressed her forehead to Weiss', the memories of their argument came flashing back.

"I could've lost you." Ruby said weakly, tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, "You would've died and it'd have been all my fault because I didn't protect you-"

"No, Ruby, it would've been my fault because I didn't listen to you." Weiss cut her off and placed a finger to her lips, "Now. . . We can talk about this when we're both healthy and out of the hospital." Ruby nodded silently and Weiss smiled, "Tell me more about this 'Soulmate' thing."

"What do you mean?"

"Like, what it means for example."

Ruby sat up, making herself comfortable by leaning against the pillow behind her. Subconsciously, she began to run her hand gently up and down Weiss' arm around her waist. "Yang told me when we were little that a Soulmate is someone you're bound to by heart and soul, you don't choose 'em, you've just always been connected in some way or another." She paused. "For example, Yang's girlfriend has always had an inexplicable admiration for fire and dragons, and my sister always associates herself with those things. Like when we were kids, she was never the princess, always the dragon! Or if it, a fire wizard."

Ruby giggled, "She can create fire from just a paper clip and a nail! She also had a weird fascination with black cats and old books, which basically describes her girlfriend if you ask me."

Weiss watched her as she spoke, waiting for her to finish before furrowing her brows. "What about you, then?" Ruby was taken aback by the sudden question, but she was more focused on the genuine curiosity in Weiss' voice. She actually wanted to learn more about her. . .

"I suppose I could tell you," Ruby began softly, smiling when Weiss shifted so that she could focus her attention on Ruby, "when I was little, I had a strange attraction towards snow and ice. It was just so mesmerizing. . . I remember telling Yang that I felt like it was calling me somehow. . . I also remember explaining to my Uncle that I kept having dreams of a beautiful girl in white. . . He thought I was talking about my mother."

"What did this girl look like?" Weiss asked again.

"Hmm. . . She had long, snowy white hair, and I could never get'a good look of her face, but she had this angelic, musical voice. That's really all I remember."

"Really?" The woman smiled knowingly. "I used to have very vague dreams of a girl running around wearing a red cape."

Ruby laughed, "Hey, I had a red cape when I was little!"

Weiss smirked in response, but continued. "I never did see her face. She was always happy, and somehow, seeing her happy made me happy." Weiss gave Ruby a gentle squeeze and joy lit up in her eyes, "And seeing you smile just brightens my day."

Ruby smiled, affection and thankfulness brewing in her chest. "Looks like we are connected. . . Kinda creepy, but you're gorgeous so I don't care."

"Of course my soulmate would be a flirt." Weiss whispered as she pushed herself up, hovering over Ruby for a second before gently laying down on top of her, resting her head in the crook of Ruby's neck. Ruby momentarily stiffened as Weiss relaxed against her, her arms twitched with the urge to push her off and leave the room, but she drew in a soft breath and reminded herself that it was Weiss.

_Weiss _was the one wanting her touch, Weiss _cared _about her. This was alright. . . It was _perfect._

"Weiss?" Ruby's heart was soaring above the heavens, heat rising to her face as she relished in the closeness. Weiss actually cared about her. Right? "What's this for?" She probably shouldn't be questioning, but she really couldn't help it. Only a few hours ago, Weiss was lecturing her and turned her back towards her. She'd even considered reporting her to the authorities. . . Now? She was sweet, affectionate, and more flirtatious than usual.

"Do I need a reason?" Weiss whispered into the silence of their hospital room.

"After what happened," Ruby trailed off, her eyes moving downcast. "Yeah, kinda . . I mean, I have nothin' against this. I love it, I do, but I don't want you to force yourself. . ."

Weiss didn't move, instead releasing a heavy sigh and responding with a quiet, monotone voice as though she were repressing her emotions. "I yelled at you, I threatened to send you to jail, I turned against you. . . I wouldn't listen to a word you had to say and left because I didn't want to be wrong." Her voice cracked upon the last one and she felt the older woman tense up.

Weiss let out a choked breath that almost sounded like a sob. "Y-you had every right to hate me, but instead you saved me and took the hit for yourself. . . Why?" Her voice was full of disbelief now, "Why would you do that? You had a chance t-to leave when they offered to transfer you to another hospital! But you chose to stay to look after me. Your sister even tried to get you to leave, but you insisted on staying! I don't understand. . ."

Ruby chuckled in amusement. "Everybody is going to fight, Weiss. We're no exception, it was just a disagreement." Ruby reached up and began threading her fingers through Weiss' long white hair, cooing to her softly when the woman released a nearly inaudible whimper. "Weiss. Just because we fought. doesn't mean I want you to die. . ." She wouldn't be able to live with herself if that had happened. "Besides, if I listened to people, I would have never met you. We can't have that, now can we?"

The sound of a door opening went unnoticed by the pair.

Weiss rolled her eyes, releasing a soft breath and relaxing herself against the brunette. "Sure we can. I would have never ended up in the hospital."

"That's right, you would've died." Ruby corrected her, reaching up with her spare hand to tap her nose.

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Psch, couldn't even let me have that, could you?" Ruby just giggled.

"Excuse me." A cold, almost malicious voice caught their attention and Weiss' body stiffened, she jerked upright and was on her feet in a matter of seconds, the warm space beside Ruby was quickly growing cold. Ruby's silver eyes moved between Weiss and a tall older woman with white hair pulled back into a bun, she could definitely see the striking family resemblance, but she looked too young to be Weiss' mother.

"Winter!" Weiss exclaimed in surprise once she'd regained her footing, "I-I can explain!"

_'Winter? As in Winter Schnee?' _Ruby's eyes widened in horror. _'The military specialist?' _

Winter simply raised a brow and glared over in Ruby's direction, sending a cold shudder down Ruby's spine. "Mind introducing me to your girlfriend, Weiss?"

The younger woman panicked again, "Wha- no! We're not dating!" Weiss cast Ruby a puzzled look and heat rushed to her face, "I mean, we're not dating yet! It's not official! I mean, we've kissed and we-" She trailed off, noticing the murderous glare on Winter's face. "Ahem. . . She's, um, how do I put this. . .?"

The room seemed to become colder when Winter looked at her again, rage in her eyes as she approached, "So she's forcing you?" Ruby felt like she was about to be ripped apart limb from limb by the tall, menacing woman standing above her. It took everything inside of her not to shrink away under her stare. "Well then, the Atlas prison has room for one more."

"No!" Ruby leaned back as Weiss put herself between them, "She's not forcing me!"

Winter frowned, wearing a now unreadable expression on her face. "Weiss," she started carefully and sternly, momentarily glaring back at Ruby, "are you sleeping-"

"Not that either!" Weiss cut her off, but before she could explain, Winter gently nudged her aside and roughly grabbed Ruby's wrist. "H-hey!"

Ruby was quickly pulled to her feet and fear shot through her like lightning. Oh she was so dead. . . "I'll draw my own conclusions," Winter said plainly, dragging Ruby to the bathroom and opening the door with her spare hand.

"Winter!" Weiss cried out again, reaching to grab Ruby again before Winter pushed her into the bathroom. "Don't hurt her!" The heiress yelled as Winter shut the bathroom door. "Winter!"

The brunette met Weiss' eyes before the door shut and she quietly turned to Winter, who locked the door and glared down at her. "What is your name, and don't even think about giving me a fake name because I will hunt you down and find your true identity."

She was dead serious. This was the same woman who had followed Zero's trail while Ruby was training, the same woman responsible for nearly having the organization and everybody involved shut down. Only the Gods knew how the Boss had managed to escape her watch. . .

Ruby cleared her throat, straightening her posture to look Winter in the eyes. She couldn't act scared. "My name is Ruby Rose." She stated confidently.

Winter glowered at her, "Alright, _Ruby_. How old are you?"

"Twenty years old, I will be twenty-one in October."

"What were you doing with my sister? What are your intentions with her?"

"I'm here with Weiss because she was attacked at the Schnee Manor, I saved her and stayed until she woke up to make sure she was alright. I have no ill intentions towards her, I only want to keep her happy."

"How long have you known her? Where did you meet her?

"I've known her for about a week, and I met her at the Mall when I was shopping with my friend."

"Why are you in Atlas? Don't even think about giving me the 'I was born here' shit because I can look at you and tell you are from Vale."

Ruby frowned, briefly surprised by the woman's vulgar response. "I moved to Mantle with my sister and uncle when I was young, we've been here ever since, my friend invited me to the party in Atlas so I accompanied her."

Well, it wasn't technically a lie. She did move here with her uncle and Yang.

"If you are not a girlfriend or a hookup, _who are you_?"

There was no easy way to put this, and Winter would not believe her anyway. "I'm her soulmate."

A scowl formed on the woman's face, but Ruby stood stiff and firm. "That is a serious claim, _Rose_."

"She's right," Weiss' voice came from the other side of the door and Winter unlocked it, pushing it open to see Weiss propped up against the wall, she looked at them, clearly having been listening to the interrogation. "When we met, we felt the spark that you always said was just a fairytale for little kids."

"That so?" Winter asked cautiously.

Weiss glanced at Ruby briefly, "Y-yeah. . . During the attack, she did save me, and when she did, I hit my head." Weiss' eyes met Winter's. "I saw red rose petals swirling around me, and I felt like, somehow, my soul intertwined. . . I-It's hard to describe, but it's like my own soul was pulling me to her."

_'Aura.' _

"Aura." Ruby corrected quietly, "It's called aura. . ." The sisters turned their attention to her as Ruby stepped out of the bathroom. "My sister told me that when you meet your soulmate, the spark you both feel connects you, it unlocks your aura and they intertwine. . . That's what they mean by 'bound by heart and soul', because your aura is the manifestation of your soul."

Weiss smiled, "Yeah. _Seelenverwandte_," Ruby silently reached to take Weiss' hand, "do I have your approval. . .?"

"I see. . ." Winter scrutinized, examining Ruby thoroughly before moving away from the duo. "Even if I did give her my blessing to _date _you, Weiss, how would you hide this from Jacques?"

The younger woman looked to Ruby, her smile turning into a grin. "Well, Winter. . ." Weiss turned back to her sister, Ruby's heart skipped a beat when she noticed Weiss' blue eyes glimmering with happiness. "I have an idea."

". . . Let's hear it."

* * *

"And you want me to do. . . What exactly?" Neptune asked, leaning forward with a puzzled look on his face, "I don't understand how I can be of any assistance. . ."

They'd waited until Ruby was discharged from the hospital to put the plan into motion, which meant getting Neptune on board with the idea. Weiss trusted him, she knew that the man would help her - or at least she hoped he'd be willing to help. "I need you to pretend to be my boyfriend," Weiss explained carefully, "if my father finds out that I'm," she cast a shy glance to Ruby, who was preoccupied with a video game, "dating a girl who knows what he'll do. . ."

Neptune blinked at her slowly, comprehending her request; "You want me. To pretend to be your boyfriend. So you can date this girl." He said slowly as if he was in disbelief. Weiss fidgeted uncomfortably, never breaking eye contact with her friend. "You want me to fake being your boyfriend to trick Jacques so you can date your supposed 'soulmate'." Neptune repeated.

"Yes." Weiss said, "Would you do that for me, please?" She asked pleadingly, "I don't know who else to ask."

The man squinted at her and Weiss wrung her hands nervously, fearing her friend's response. He could get up and leave, report her decision to her father and ruin her life, or he could play along. . . Neptune made a noise of thought. A small smirk crossed the blue-haired man's face and he clapped his hand on his knee, sitting up and wearing a proud grin. "Done! What's your girl's name?"

Weiss' eyes widened, surprised by his reaction. "I-I, um, you- what?"

"Ruby." Weiss tilted her head back to see Ruby propped up against the back of her chair, most of her weight leaning forward. "My name's Ruby Rose."

Neptune smiled flirtatiously, "A beautiful name for a cute woman," Ruby narrowed her eyes at him, placing a possessive hand on Weiss' shoulder, who reached up to take her hand.

"He flirts with everybody," Weiss whispered reassuringly, "just don't listen to him." Ruby visibly relaxed and leaned down, resting her chin on Weiss' head. The older woman just huffed in slight amusement and annoyance before turning back to Neptune, "Thank you for your support." The heiress whispered, tightening her hand around Ruby's.

Neptune stood up, shrugging his shoulders with an unreadable smirk on his face, "But hey, if she treats you wrong, I'm always available~"

"_Verzieh dich_!" Weiss snapped loudly, Neptune just laughed at her and the heiress released a protective growl. "My girlfriend! Back up!" Behind her, Ruby stood with a very bewildered look on her face.

"What?"

* * *

**Keep the names "Ace" and "Zero" in mind, they'll be showing up again soon.**  
**Also, Yang does have a reason for distrusting Weiss, but that still has yet to be revealed. But her distrust does lead to problems between her and Ruby.**

**Say bye to Neptune and Penny for a little bit! We're delving into the plot now, they will be mentioned often, but it will be a while until we see them again.**

**Verzieh Dich - "Get Lost"**

**Seelenverwandte - Soul Mates**

**(I have a German friend who translates these for me.)**


	10. Snow White and the Red Rose

_**Before anybody says ANYTHING about this chapter, this is a FASTBURN fanfic.**_

_**Chapter Nine:**_  
_**Snow White and the Red Rose**_  
**[Ruby]**  
Date: Wednesday, October 19th  
Into You - Ariana Grande  
_Oh baby, look what you started_

_The temperature's rising in here_

_Is this gonna happen?_

_Been waiting and waiting for you to make a move_

_Before I make a move_

* * *

One month has passed since the attack on the Schnee Manor, Ruby returned home to her apartment and continued her new daily routine the best she could with her damaged shoulder. She hadn't heard from any of those women either since the night before the party, so she was hoping that she was done with them. If they contacted her, she would simply shoot them down.

She had Weiss now. Penny had relentlessly teased her about it a few days after she and Weiss had begun dating, but she knew it was all in good faith.

She'd also landed a job at a restaurant a few blocks away from her apartments, so she was making her own money. She had no motivation to service them anymore.

Weiss had returned to work after she'd been discharged from the and received a call from her father about the encounter, she'd told Ruby that the man had not been too happy about it and she was no longer standing in for her father's absence. As much as she tried to hide it, Ruby saw the hurt and disappointment in her new girlfriend's eyes. From that, she could tell that the responsibility had meant a lot to her. She hadn't gotten an actual chance to prove herself.

That was something she'd come to learn about the other woman, she always acted like she had to prove her worth, as if she was nothing without it. That and the fact it didn't seem like Weiss ever had a choice in what she did, she'd been so taken aback and surprised when Ruby asked where _she _wanted to go for their date.

Weiss appeared to enjoy having a say in everything, Ruby could see the light in her eyes and sometimes just took her places to watch as the woman's stress just faded away as though it never existed at all. She was also paying visits to Ruby's apartment more often now that she didn't have a company to run, she'd practically made herself at home and Ruby didn't mind at all. Although, Weiss still seemed to be on the edge about physical contact and would flinch away whenever Ruby reached for her, so Ruby just sat back and waited until Weiss came to her.

She made sure to enjoy the moment whenever Weiss did feel the need to cuddle with her. She'd even snuck a few pictures when Weiss had nodded off on her one time after a film.

There was another thing she'd learned about her girlfriend: She was affectionate and giggly, and surprisingly enough, she absolutely adored kisses. She'd been shy at first, but now she was getting to where she would actually initiate it.

Ruby didn't mind one bit; it was far better than restrained, obnoxious, but reluctantly obedient Weiss that Ruby occasionally met whenever she was on the phone with her father.

Plus, the only way to describe kissing Weiss was to say it was like kissing an angel.

When something made her upset, Ruby wanted to hunt down the source and make them pay for hurting her Weiss. Sometimes, she wanted to take all of her stress and pain for herself so that Weiss could be happy. . . It'd be worth it. She wanted to keep Weiss smiling and laughing, and her heart hurt when the other woman was depressed.

After every interaction she had with Weiss, three words sat on the tip of the tongue, but never had the guts to come out. She'd gotten desperate enough to seek help from her best friend, only for Penny to snicker at her and say "just tell her you love her".

_'It's not that easy!'_

Today, she had another date with Weiss.  
Today, she would finally tell her.

She was confident in her decision, nothing would go wrong.

Then she was called to help her sister and Blake with a mission. . .

"Are you there, Ruby?"

Ruby reluctantly reached up and clicked her earpiece, "Yeah. I'm here. Do I really have to do this?" She asked, her hand tightening around her steering wheel as she glanced around nervously. "I have a date to get to, and if people find out that I'm-"

"Calm down, Ruby! If you've never been caught before, you won't be caught now." Yang interrupted, followed by a quiet 'oomph' and the sound of a bag rustling. Ruby felt guilt rush through her like a rollercoaster and she threw her head back against the seat; she had left the life of crime behind her and gotten a job, she had a beautiful girlfriend and a home. She shouldn't be here. . .

What if Weiss thought she wasn't going to come. . .? She couldn't do that to her, she _loved _her.

Hearing someone knock on the window next to her, she calmly glanced to see Yang standing outside with an annoyed expression on her face. Oh, so she has a right to be irritated, but Ruby didn't? For fucks' sake, they'd messed up her plans! She had more of a reason to be mad.

Heaving a sigh, the brunette unlocked the truck as Blake tossed the box and a few bags onto the back. Yang hopped in beside her as Blake climbed into the backseats, "Go to Jefferson's house," Yang told Ruby, leaning with her hands behind her head, "he'll give a lift to the Boss' place."

_'Jefferson?'_

Mentally, she followed the route towards the man's house. If she took Route A, it would lead her right into the center of Mantle, and she could not risk being seen with these two. They'd already made her late for her date, she was not about to run from the cops for them. She wanted no part in this.

"That would mean going into town with two wanted criminals," Ruby sneered, "it's either we take Route B, or you're fucking walking."

"Whoa, Ruby, what's wrong?" Blake asked from the backseats, "We asked if you could join us and you said 'sure'. . . You knew what-"

"I thought you meant something entirely different!" The brunette snapped at the woman, "Now I'm late for my date with Weiss, she probably thinks I stood her up after a month of dating, and I cannot be seen with you two or my whole life will be ruined!"

Yang's hand slammed down in front of her and Ruby lifted her head to glare at her older sister, "That's enough, Ruby."

"Oh, lemme get this straight," Ruby said in pure aggravation, "I can't raise my voice at your girlfriend, but you can insult my girlfriend all you want and I can't say a damn thing?" Yang opened her mouth to respond, but Ruby beat her to it. "I can miss my date with Weiss, but God forbid you spend two minutes away from Blake. I see how it is."

"Ruby," Yang started calmly, "I'm not asking you to give up your new life, but you promised you would help out every once in a while. Now, we need to take these products to the Boss or else he'll be pissed." Ruby glanced back to said baggage in the trunk of her truck.

The Schnee emblem. . .

That's what Weiss had been complaining about recently. . .

Money was being stolen. . .

Rage flashed through Ruby like lightning. Yang was wanting her to betray her girlfriend, put more stress on her shoulders and make her life even more miserable. It was probably her way of trying to get Ruby to come crawling back to them. "Get. Out."

"Wh-what?" Yang narrowed her eyes at Ruby.

Blake spoke up next. "Ruby, you know what'll happen if we're late."

"You're taking money from Weiss' family!" Ruby snapped, the other two women fell silent. "You're taking the money from a company she'll soon inherit! I want no part in this! If you two weren't my family and my friends, I'd turn you into the cops!"

The older blond growled at the brunette, "We don't want to do this, Ruby! But we have to! Our lives depend on it!"

Ruby's glare didn't waver, "You asked me for my help to _indirectly rob my girlfriend_." She muttered slowly, switching the truck's engine off. "I love you both, but I am _not _gonna do that to Weiss." Yang opened her mouth to respond, but Ruby beat her to it. "Get out, I'll give you enough coverage to be able to get away without being noticed, but that's _it_."

Yang glared at her and violently pushed the door open, "You chose your girlfriend over your family's safety, I'll remember this, Ruby."

"Yang," Blake sighed as she, too, climbed out, "don't talk to her like that. You'd do the same thing for me."

The woman didn't respond and slammed the door shut, approaching the back of the truck to grab their baggage. A shock of guilt ran through Ruby, she couldn't stop them. . . If they returned without the money, who knows what would happen to them? She also couldn't betray Weiss either, it felt like her heart was being tugged in two different ways.

But, it was a good thing she'd left. Now that she was gone, it looked like the other two were putting on weight considering they didn't have three people to feed. They had more money left for themselves, but with the alliance, Ruby couldn't help but to worry about them.

What if they were hiding money? When Yang and Ruby had done that, they'd been found and Yang had stepped up to take the full punishment for Ruby. She still had the scars from the whip today, and it'd taken everything inside the woman not to lash out and defend herself, and it was all to protect Ruby.

The least she could do was offer them some help. She'd learned every twist and turn of Mantle when leaving to visit those women.

"Yang?" Ruby called and the blonde turned around to look at her, "Take the tunnels that go under the interstate, if you go right they come out down there behind the house where the old town used to be."

Yang's brows furrowed, "Wait, Ruby, how do you-"

"Just trust me." Ruby smiled weakly, "And if you wanna come by tonight, you're more than welcome. I'll make somethin' to eat."

Her phone buzzed and she clicked it on, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Weiss' picture appear on her lockscreen.

[Weiss] _Snowpea: Can you meet me outside the apartments? And remove that nickname from my contact. I've already erased it three times, I'm not doing it again._

God, she hated that nickname for her. Ruby giggled and opened her phone to reply to the conversation.

[Ruby] _Petal:_ No it's cute, leave it. Sure, I'll be there soon.

"I gotta go." Ruby said plainly, not giving the two a chance to reply before driving off.

* * *

Weiss was right there waiting in the parking lot for her with no limo or chauffeur in sight. Which briefly puzzled Ruby, each time she met her girlfriend outside the apartments there would be a ride waiting to pick them up. So where were they today? Were they walking? It was October, it was cold, so surely not. Unless they weren't going anywhere?

Ruby shook her head and shut the truck off, yanking down violently on the gears to shift it into park. It was getting stuck again, she'd have to fix it when she had time. That or get a new vehicle, because she was not about to take her angel anywhere in that thing. It was a piece of junk if she had to be completely honest.

"Took you long enough." Ruby glanced outside her window to see Weiss standing next to the door wearing a playful smirk, "Twenty-eight minutes late, I should break up with you. Who knows what you were doing within that time?"

The brunette just laughed, "Oh? Would you really leave me, my precious angel?" She smirked victoriously when Weiss' face turned red, "But if I don't make you happy, by all means-" Weiss frowned at her and Ruby giggled, opening her truck door, "How'd you get here?"

Weiss shrugged, "I had Neptune drop me off on his way to see his boyfriend."

Ruby's eyes widened, "Wait, he's gay?" She asked in genuine shock.

The woman snickered. "Between you and me? Yes."

"I see. . . So what are we doing?" Ruby asked, glancing around again for their ride. The woman just smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her on the lips, taking Ruby surprise and seizing the opportunity to tie a blindfold around her eyes. "What-?" Ruby asked when she felt the cloth covering her face.

"I have a surprise for you," Weiss cooed, "keep your eyes close and maybe you'll get something extra tonight."

Heat rose to Ruby's face at the thought, very well aware of the subtly suggestive tone her girlfriend had. She'd get something _extra_? Who was she to turn that down? "Okay." She said instantly, face flushing when Weiss giggled, "Where do I go? I'm at your mercy, Snowpea"

"Allow me to show you," Weiss whispered as she placed her hands on Ruby's back, her breath warm against the brunette's ear, "starting. . . Now."

Straight.

What did Weiss mean by something extra tonight? It surely held some implications, but surely she couldn't mean that, right?

Left turn.

Then again, they had been dating for a month now and Weiss was getting more forward about her affection. Even if it did end with Weiss becoming a stuttering, blushing red mess and denying the fact she wanted attention.

Straight.

Ruby's mind went back to the suggestive tone Weiss carried and a shiver raced up her spine, she couldn't be wrong about that, could she? The image of Weiss writhing underneath her gasping and moaning her name came to the front of her mind.

Right.

Wait, what if Ruby hurt her? None of those women she'd serviced had been allowed to touch her. What if Ruby was pleasuring her and Weiss wanted to touch her? She had to tell her beforehand, she had to warn her. But what if sex wasn't what Weiss wanted? What if Ruby understood wrong?

Straight.

Well, she had to wait and find out. . . If anything happens, she'd stop her and tell her.

Left.

Where the fuck was she being dragged?

"Can I look now?" She asked when Weiss suddenly stopped, pulling her hand away from Ruby's. "Weiss?" Was she alone? She could hear cars, so she was near the road. Oh hell, Weiss had dragged her into the middle of the road and left her to die. She was not about to die! "Weiss!" Ruby hollered, moving forward and sightlessly waving her hands around for the woman.

"Shhh, stop yelling," she heard Weiss say from somewhere near her, followed by Ruby being pulled forward by her shirt collar, "be patient, _mein juwel_." Weiss whispered lovingly, sending Ruby's heart soaring as a kiss was planted to her lips. Before she could reciprocate, Weiss released her and pulled the blindfold up. "Now you can look."

A flash of bright light hit Ruby in the eyes and she squinted, attempting to blink the vision back before looking at her girlfriend. "Where are we?" She asked in pure confusion, glancing to the truck Weiss was standing in front of. "Whose vehicle is this?"

It was a Chevrolet, painted a beautiful shade of red as the primary color with striking silver streaks decorating the sides, the wheels were sprayed red with offroad tires attached. The windows were tinted to where she had to squint to peer inside of the truck, but she could swear she saw a familiar rose symbol somewhere inside the interior.

Weiss scoffed at her in offense, "Whose do you think it is, you dunce?"

The younger woman frowned, not yet putting the pieces together. "Um, yours? But I thought you didn't dri-" She was silenced by yet another kiss, this one lingered for a moment longer and gave Ruby a chance to respond to it. Weiss pulled away and fire ignited inside Ruby, Weiss' eyes were half-lidded and dancing with anticipation and nervousness. _'Cute!'_ She shook herself back to her senses, "When'd ya get a vehicle?"

Weiss grumbled something inaudible and stepped away from her, "It's yours." This fancy new truck was _Ruby's_? No this couldn't be right. "No girlfriend of mine is driving an old rusted truck when I have something to do about it. Plus, the car dealership told me that this was a-" Weiss fell quiet and opened the truck door to grab a paper from the driver's seat.

Ruby's eyes widened at the sight of the familiar rose symbol etched into the leather of the seat. Weiss had really paid extra on this set of wheels, and it honestly sort of made Ruby feel bad. She'd have to pay her back somehow.

"It said somewhere on here-"

"2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500." Ruby beat her to it, almost breathless with awe.

"That." Weiss muttered, carelessly tossing the paper back into the vehicle. "Whatever that is."

"How'd you even get one?! They're like, twenty grand!" She had a new vehicle. . . Weiss spent her money on her and got her a new ride, because she _wanted_ to! Gods, she loved this girl.

Weiss rolled her eyes, leaning up against the side of the truck as Ruby inspected the truck in awe. The red was just right, it wasn't too blinding and it wasn't a horrifying blood red. It was a perfect shade of ruby. "I just said no girlfriend of mine should be driving a rust bucket like that old truck, now didn't I?"

Ruby giggled and spun around to approach her girlfriend, her eyes shining with affection and adoration. "I love it! Thank you so much, Weiss!" She said happily, coming to stop in front of the heiress. "I lo-. . ."

Ruby bit her tongue as Weiss stared up at her expectantly, clearly waiting for her to continue the sentence. Her heart beat erratically and her cheeks heated up, she felt all confidence leave her and she when she opened her mouth, no words came out.

_'Say it!'_ She scolded herself, noticing anxiety creeping into the woman's eyes. _'You love her! Say you love her, damn it!' _It felt like her stomach had tied into knots and she'd forgotten how to speak. Ruby didn't understand why though, she'd imagined saying it to her girlfriend so many times, but every time she tried it just came out as a stuttered sentence she never can finish.

Ruby's shoulders slackened when Weiss smiled sadly at her, "I know what you mean," she whispered, her voice timid and shy, "but if you're not ready to say it, that's fine. I don't mind waiting."

"No!" Ruby gasped immediately, reaching out to take Weiss by the shoulders before she could turn away from her. The woman released a startled, almost frightened noise of surprise and Ruby let go of her, softening her voice and whispering an apology.

"I'm alright." Weiss whispered after a moment, the panic in her eyes having dissolved. "Go on. . ."

"You deserve to hear it. . ." She really did, she knew how Weiss had grown up and desperately wanted to tell her how much she meant to her. Otherwise her girlfriend might feel like Ruby never truly cared about her at all, Ruby didn't want her to possibly feel that way.

"Ruby, you're not ready. I don't want you to force yourself."

_'Come on! She bought you a truck and she's been waiting for a month to hear it! She deserves it!' _Ruby breathed in deeply and let it out, forcing her nervousness down and releasing Weiss' shoulders. "I. . ." She had to do this, for Weiss. "I love you." Softness crossed through Weiss' eyes and Ruby smiled widely, affection blooming inside of her again. She did it. "I love you," she repeated, leaning in and tilting Weiss' chin up to capture her lips, "I love you, my angel."

"I love you too." Weiss whispered before their lips met. The kiss was short and sweet, lingering longer than the first two and sending waves of passion through the brunette. She loved this. . . She didn't want it to end. Whenever they kissed, they were in a world where just the two of them existed, and that's all Ruby really needed.

Weiss pulled away and Ruby whined in protest, the older woman simply chuckled and her face flushed in humiliation. "Sorry." She apologized softly and her eyes widened as Weiss leaned in to place a gentle, sweet kiss to the corner of Ruby's lips.

"Nothing to be sorry about, Ruby." The woman purred, "I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around Ruby's waist and gazing up at her. Ruby's heart went soaring and she quickly ducked in for another kiss, which was quickly, but briefly reciprocated before Weiss stepped away from her and started for the building, "Come on, let's go inside. It's cold out here."

Ruby's eyes widened, "Do I get my reward now?" She asked, hopping to her girlfriend's side with one jump.

Blue eyes glanced at her mischievously, "I don't know. Were you a good girl?"

The dark-haired woman grinned, bouncing around to stop in front of Weiss, giggling when her girlfriend let out an 'eep' of surprise. "I am a good girl!" She announced almost childishly, "Unless kisses were my reward, I want my present. _Please_?" Weiss just smirked at her and Ruby pouted, "Fine. I'll wait until we get inside the apartment."

"You'll love it," Weiss cooed, tilting Ruby's chin down so that she could meet her eyes, "but let me know if you don't, okay?"

By now, Ruby was pretty much confident in what the reward would be, but she didn't want to say anything in case it threw Weiss offtrack. How would she tell her about those women? Should she tell her? Ruby shook her head and allowed herself to be led to her apartment, deciding to just go with the flow and only mention it if there was an opening.

"Open." Weiss said, stopping in front of Ruby's apartment and leaning against the wall. Ruby removed her keys and unlocked the door, pushing it open and switching the lights on as she walked inside. Weiss followed her and closed the door behind her with her foot, "Now sit down." She instructed the brunette, who immediately obeyed and and seated herself on the couch.

"What're you gonna do?" Ruby asked with a playful smirk, "Tie me up and send me to your family to be experimented on?"

Weiss' expression matched her own, she shrugged and approached the brunette. She placed a hand on her chest and gently pushed her back against the couch, climbing atop her legs and straddling her. Weiss tilted Ruby's chin up with a finger. "Perhaps. We do need to learn something about those eyes of yours, don't we?"

Ruby just laughed and leaned forward, "Glad I can be of use to you, Ms. Schnee." She purred, "Now where's my surprise?"

The heiress stared at her for a long second, apprehension and adoration both flashing through her eyes, followed by brief hesitance. The woman released a heavy, content sigh. "Right here," Weiss whispered, "close your eyes."

Ruby obliged and she heard Weiss' breathing grow heavy with nervousness, she felt her lean in and she could feel her breath against her mouth, she swore she could hear the thudding of Weiss' heart against her chest.

A slender finger traced across Ruby's lips tentatively and Weiss' breath hitched, Ruby could feel the faint tremble of her girlfriend's body. The silence was becoming deafening now, it seemed like Weiss had gone completely still and even stopped breathing there for a long second.

Abruptly, Weiss pressed a delicate kiss to Ruby's lips, which was instantly returned. Her heart fluttered when she felt uncalloused hands reach up and cup her cheeks, soft fingers brushing over her skin affectionately.

The kiss was tender and loving, but held a more profound that Ruby couldn't place. Weiss broke the kiss and initiated another one not even a split second later, not giving Ruby a chance to breathe in between them as the kisses became significantly more passionate.

Ruby's tongue instinctively dashed out to slide over Weiss' and the other woman opened her mouth to allow the gem-pierced tongue to delicately press against her own.

Subconsciously, Ruby's hands ascended and slid across the woman's hips, slipping underneath her shirt and ghosting over her pale skin. Weiss shivered and their mouths separated. Ruby drew in a deep breath and restored the air to her lungs. Her mind was hazy and cloudy, eyes glazed over and unfocused. She wasn't conscious enough to be able to decipher the source.

Ruby felt a tingling inside of her chest and she clenched her fists, brushing away the need for control by drawing her girlfriend in for another kiss. She wouldn't take control except if Weiss needed her to, she wouldn't chance potentially harming her. As their lips met again, another surge of fire raced through Ruby and she dug her fingers into the cloth of the couch, focusing her attention on the sweetness of the other woman's touch.

She loved her. Weiss was not one of them. There was no need for her to push her hands off and take control. This was different. . . Her touch was not what Weiss wanted from her, Weiss cared for her.

Weiss broke the kiss and Ruby's heart nearly stopped at the sight; her breathing was heavy and labored, her face was flushed red, lips glistening with saliva, eyes hooded and glazed over. "Ruby?"

"Y-yeah?" Ruby responded, her throat dry.

"Take me to bed."

* * *

_**The reason Ruby had difficulty saying "I love you" is because of her history, and she's only ever said those words to her sister. Having somebody other than Yang care for her is strange for her.**_

_**Also, damn, Yang is really being a bitch, ain't she? I kinda wanna tell her off myself.**_

_**As for the next chapter? Yes, there WILL BE SMUT. The smut scene opens up plot points/character background.**  
**Before anybody gets their panties in a twist, remember that this a FASTBURN fanfic, and that Weiss took the initiative. (Can anybody guess why?)**_


	11. Mesmerized

_**WARNING: Smut/sex scene ahead.  
**__**-For the person that DM'd me; **I don't know where you got the assumption that they would degrade/physically harm each other during sex but... __**No,** there will **not** be any abusive methods used during intimacy in this story AT ALL. The sex scenes will be **purely consensual**.  
**EDIT: Warning #2 - It's been HEAVILY IMPLIED that Ruby worked as a service!top ****prostitute**** in earlier chapters, long before she met Weiss. If this is a sensitive topic to you, please read with caution.**  
_

_**Chapter Ten**_  
_**Mesmerized**_

**[Ruby]**  
Date: Monday, October 19th  
Into You - Ariana Grande  
_W: So baby, come light me up and baby I'll let you on it  
__R: A little bit dangerous, but baby, that's how I want it  
__W: A little less conversation, and a little more touch my body  
__WR: 'Cause I'm so into you, into you, into you  
__W: Got everyone watchin' us, so baby, let's keep it secret  
__R: A little bit scandalous, but baby, don't let them see it_

* * *

_'Take me to bed.'_

It took the brunette a second to register her request and when she did, a fire-like warmth erupted through her body and she captured her lover's lips again. Ruby shifted so that she could slide her hands down to Weiss' hips, lifting her up with little to no effort. She broke the kiss as arms encircled her shoulders, followed by multiple feather-like kisses along her neck.

A shudder coursed through Ruby as she carried her girlfriend to the bedroom, but every bone in her body screamed at her to pin the girl against the wall and take her there, to get this over with and satisfy her. She wouldn't do that. . . She had to make her first time as sweet as possible, which meant accepting her touch and pushing her demons below the surface.

Gently, she lay the heiress down on the soft mattress, resting her head on the pillow and carefully removed her arms from her hips. Ruby held herself up with one arm and slid her knee between Weiss' legs. Ruby tapped the woman's chin, capturing her attention and giving her a deep kiss on the lips. She pulled away, "Are you sure?" She asked, her hands stopping at the hem of Weiss' shirt and waiting for a response.

Weiss met Ruby's silver eyes, "Y-yeah, I'm sure." Her voice gave off to an almost inaudible whisper. Ruby had to strain to catch the last few words, Weiss averted her eyes when the younger girl leaned in. Despite the room being almost pitch black, Ruby could see a light blush rising to her lover's face, probably from the embarrassment of admitting she wanted to do something so shameful.

Ruby couldn't blame her, though. Her girlfriend had grown up being taught that intimacy was to only be done after wedlock, she'd been told that it would shame her and her family name if word got out that she'd had sex outside of marriage.

Ruby propped her weight up onto one arm, bringing her other up to touch Weiss' chin as an attempt to regain her attention. It worked. "But what if they find out?" She asked again, ready to roll off of the bed if her partner changed her mind.

"They'll just have to deal with it, then." Weiss replied, placing her hand over Ruby's and giving her fingers small butterfly kisses.

Weiss wanted her, she trusted her with something special. . .

A strange and indescribable emotion struck Ruby like a truck. She pulled her hand away, sliding it down to grip the older girl's waist, "Alright. . . Do you want me to take the lead?"

She already knew the answer to that, but she wanted to make sure, wanting to give the girl one last chance to back out.

"Please . . ." Weiss pleaded pathetically and Ruby nodded, satisfied with her girlfriend's response. She leaned down and began peppering her face with gentle kisses while slowly moving her way downwards. Feeling Weiss tense beneath her, silver eyes glanced up at the heiress and Ruby hummed as her hands slid from Weiss' waist and under her shirt, her fingers spreading as she caressed the exposed skin. "What are you doing?"

"You're tense, relax." Calloused fingers began ever so gently massaging as an attempt to relax the white-haired girl, "I won't go any further than you want me to, tell me what you're comfortable with and what you're not. I won't do anything you don't like. . ."

Weiss nodded, "I know you won't." She whispered as Ruby kissed the corner of her lips, the woman closed her eyes in content. Weiss sighed as Ruby's fingers slowly descended down her waist, pressing down ever so slightly and gently massaging her. She found herself relaxing into her girlfriend's touch.

"There you go. . ." Ruby cooed softly, gently sliding Weiss' shirt up, fingers brushing against the woman's tensed skin. Weiss half sat up to assist the brunette and once her shirt was pushed up and over her head, she slowly leaned back down as Ruby's hands resumed their work.

* * *

! Start of smut !

* * *

Ruby seemed to know exactly where the stress points were and her hands worked expertly to soothe them. Weiss could feel the strain on her body slowly ebbing away as Ruby's calloused fingers did their magic. She was careful about her hands straying elsewhere without consent and waited for spoken permission before moving to another area.

_'She's beautiful. Soft. . .'_ Ruby thought, descending again to plant a kiss to the quivering heiress' throat. "I'm going to remove your bra, okay?" Weiss nodded.

Ruby slipped one hand under Weiss, who arched her back ever so slightly, and brunette's hand ascended towards her bra and carefully unclipped it with one hand, tossing it aside with a simple flick of her wrist. She'd long since learned that trick, normally wanting to avoid touching her partner as much as possible. Ruby felt her mind begin to zone out, she had to remind herself who was beneath her. . .

She moved back up to Weiss' throat, drinking in her scent and returning to her senses all the while her hands exploring her lover's now exposed skin. Hands easing up her stomach and towards Weiss' breasts, Ruby sat up, eyes roaming her girlfriend's upper body. She was small, but if Ruby had to be honest, it was the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen.

Hearing Weiss' breath hitch she looked up to Weiss' eyes, noticing the nervous question behind them all too well.

_'Do I look okay?'_

Realization clicked.

Before her, she could see a girl who spent her entire teenage life being criticized for her appearance. She saw a girl who grew up constantly being shamed for something she couldn't control, for something she didn't need to change simply to look 'average'.

Ruby smiled and leaned up to capture the woman's lips in a sweet, reassuring kiss.

_'You look perfect'_ was the message she sent her. After a moment, the hesitation in Weiss slowly faded away and Ruby carefully moved downwards, leaving affectionate butterfly kisses as she worked her way down towards Weiss' chest. A few teasing kisses were placed between the valley of her breasts, Weiss whimpered and arched her back slightly, but a gentle push to her stomach had her pressed against the bed again.

"Ruby." Weiss whispered weakly as the mentioned woman trailed kisses down her belly, fingers still kneading and caressing her skin.

Deciding she'd been deprived enough, Ruby moved and took one nipple between her index finger and her middle finger, rubbing it tentatively and glancing up to watch Weiss' reaction.

Ruby smiled when Weiss released a pleased purr, she ran her thumb over the hardening nub and continued kneading as she leaned down to her other breast. Her spare hand came up and softly groped the small mound, she licked the nub and Weiss gave an audible gasp. Ruby briefly looked at the woman before taking it in her mouth, circling her tongue around it as she fingered the other.

Weiss' hands came up and snaked under Ruby's shirt, mimicking the patterns Ruby had drawn across her own skin. Alarm bells went off in Ruby's head and it took everything she had inside of her not to bite down and growl at the woman, to warn her to take her hands off of her immediately.

_'It's okay.'_ She ran her tongue over the woman's nipple to try and distract herself. _'This is Weiss. She can touch me, it's okay.' _

"Ruby. . ." Weiss moaned, voice laced with affection and lust. Weiss wanted her, because she _loved _her.

Ruby's mind snapped back to her senses and she moved her hands downwards to lightly grab the woman's hips, she leaned up. "I'm taking your jeans off, okay?" She whispered, thumb rubbing circles across Weiss' hip bones, the consent she received was a single, barely noticeable nod. She reached up and cupped the woman's chin with one hand, leaning down to kiss her.

Pulling away, the brunette flashed a seductive smile at the older woman, giggling when Weiss instantly averted her gaze, her face as red as rubies. Ruby looked down at Weiss' bare stomach, humming in thought. _'I wonder how she'd react?'_ Simultaneously, she ran her fingernails down the smooth, pale skin, leaving red lines in their wake, and watched her girlfriend's face curiously.

Weiss' fists clenched the bedsheets and a sharp 'gah' escaped her, and Ruby could feel her heart racing through her already flushed skin. _'She liked it.' _Ruby smirked, her nails making their way down to the heiress' expensive jeans. _'Eclipse's Divine. Fancy.'_ She hovered over her lover's abdomen and blew a careful, cool breath across her hot skin. Weiss released yet another pleased noise and Ruby smiled, taking the buttons between two fingers and pulling them apart.

Placing a gentle kiss there, Ruby gently tugged the zipper down and blew another breath against the now exposed area. Glancing up to Weiss for consent, she placed her hands at the hem of the woman's jeans and pulled them down over her hips when Weiss gave her response. She placed them with Weiss' shirt below the bed, one hand now caressing the newly found skin.

Before she could do anything else, Weiss sat up ever so slightly, nervousness flickering through her eyes.

Ruby looked at her, "What is it?"

"I-. . . I'm scared that it'd hurt." Weiss whispered timidly, "I want this, but I don't-"

Ruby cut her off by leaning towards her, removing her hands from Weiss' hips as an attempt to relax her. She placed one hand on Weiss' stomach and held herself up with the other above her. "You're a fencer, you ride horseback, and you're twenty-two years old. It should only hurt if you're not properly prepared." She kissed the woman's neck and dragged her tongue over her thrumming pulse, "There's more to sex than penetration if you're not ready for that level."

Weiss was quiet for a moment, tilting her head back and allowing the brunette to nibble at her neck. Each time her teeth grazed her skin, small spikes of pleasure coursed through Weiss. Ruby's hand hadn't stopped caressing her stomach either, but never strayed anywhere beyond her abdomen as she was still massaging her tension away.

Ruby wouldn't hurt her.

"Alright." Weiss decided, her mind focusing solidly on the relaxing pleasure she was feeling. She closed her eyes and released a sigh as Ruby began her descent again, taking her time and planting sweet kisses along Weiss' body along her way.

Ruby's hands moved to Weiss' hips again and ghosted over the flushed skin, causing the woman to whimper needily, subconsciously trying to roll her hips back into Ruby's touch. "Patience, patience, princess." The brunette teased as she slid her hand across the inside of Weiss' bare thigh. Her eyes moved towards the pale, unblemished skin and she glanced up to Weiss again, who simply met her eyes with an expression of approval.

Weiss held herself up to watch what the younger woman was doing, she furrowed her brows and Ruby shifted so that she was comfortably positioned between her legs. Looking up to Weiss, she smiled and nudged her legs apart, sliding one finger upwards across Weiss' thigh.

Understanding the gesture, Weiss lifted her leg lightly and bent it to allow Ruby better access. "You're very beautiful." Ruby whispered to her adoringly. That was when Weiss realized she'd somehow maneuvered her way down between her legs, her breath was hot against Weiss' already warm skin.

Ruby's eyes momentarily flickered to the expensive white lace underwear her girlfriend was wearing and she placed her hand just above the remaining clothing. "I'm going to take them off now." She informed the woman above her, their gaze briefly meeting to make sure Weiss was alright with the decision. Without a shred of hesitation, Weiss lifted her hips and Ruby tucked her finger under the hem of her panties.

She could smell arousal. _'Wait. . .'_ Ruby leaned up and took the thin cloth between her teeth, pulling them back ever so lightly and looking up at the woman above her.

Through her already hazy vision, Weiss saw the dangerous look in Ruby's expression, her eyes widened and all of her blood rushed to her face and heat shot between her legs instantly. Sighing heavily, the woman leaned back and lifted her legs to assist Ruby, by the time they reached her knees, Ruby reached up and took them in her hand again, mischief twinkling in her eyes. In one movement, she pulled the clothing down and leaned forward, blowing a cool breath against Weiss' pelvis and eliciting a sharp coo of surprise from the woman.

Her toes curled as Ruby carefully moved downwards, planting sweet and gentle kisses along the way. Weiss felt all of her body's heat rushing towards her center and her breaths were coming out in short, lust-drunk gasps.

Weiss shakily pushed herself up with one hand and watched as Ruby pulled her panties under her ankles, silver eyes looked up to her again when her underwear was discarded. "R-Ruby?" She whispered breathlessly when the dark-haired woman crawled back up to her. "What're you-"

"I can't kiss you?" Ruby asked as she pulled away from the kiss, affectionate, yet mischievous silver eyes glancing up at Weiss.

She was silenced by Ruby taking her chin between two fingers and pressing her mouth against Weiss', dipping her tongue inside and drawing another moan out from the pale-skinned woman. A twinge of heat raced down between her legs again and she subconsciously bucked her hips needily. The kisses were passionate, lustful, yet short due to the both of them running low on air.

Silver eyes stared down into Weiss' glazed over, lustful blue pair. It was a beautiful sight; her eyes half-lidded and filled with desire, her usually neatly-styled hair unruly and disheveled beneath her head, her face flushed with exertion. . .

"K-kissing is fine." Weiss whispered again, her fists clenching and unclenching as Ruby's nails ran down her stomach, leaving red marks behind to replace the ones that had already faded. She was warm to the touch and damp with sweat. Weiss was on the edge, bordering between losing all resolve and trying to keep her dignity.

"Is it? Alright." Ruby giggled and leaned down, nibbling and suckling at the woman's collarbone as she reached up to fondle her breasts. She had to coax this along for as long as possible, to make Weiss absolutely need her. Whimpers, whines, and coos escaped the trembling heiress, Ruby could feel her hips rolling against her desperately.

"Ruby. . ." Weiss moaned, her voice cracking. "_Please_."

She was getting close to _begging_, and that's exactly what Ruby wanted. Ruby smirked, "Please, _what_?" She asked as she sat up, "Tell me what you want, my love." Weiss averted her gaze and raised her fist to bite down on her knuckles, trying to save whatever dignity she had left. The woman giggled and pressed a soft kiss below Weiss' chin, "Well, if you don't want me to touch you, I suppose I'll keep kissing you."

On cue, she quickly moved downwards and placed a kiss below her girlfriend's navel, her hands moving to her hips again and tracing gentle circles along her hip bones, ghosting across her pelvis and down between her legs. Upon her descent, she noticed the woman's breathing grow heavier, Ruby felt Weiss' lower half squirm a bit and a soft, needy whine came from above.

_'Ah well. I suppose it counts as begging.' _Ruby's calloused hand slipped down and nudged Weiss' legs further apart. "You sure you don't want anything?"Above her, she heard Weiss struggle a sharp, pleased moan and a smirk came to the brunette lips. Ruby smirked and leaned forward to swipe her tongue over her girlfriend's clit.

Weiss felt delight spike through her body like electricity when a wet pressure pushed against her, a moan sounding a lot like her girlfriend's name escaped her as Ruby's pierced tongue ran across her entrance. It felt wonderful. However, it didn't satiate the fire consuming at her center even in the slightest. She wanted, no, she _needed_ more. "Rubyyy." She mewled out, pleading for her lover to stop teasing her.

_'So she liked that.' _Ruby pulled away, a string of arousal attached to her tongue. "Weiiiissss." She mewled back playfully, sliding her arms under Weiss' legs for better access. Leaning down, she ran the length of her tongue over her girlfriend's clit, causing the older girl to gasp, moan, and whimper. "You taste _delicious_."

"D-don't say things like that." Weiss managed to say just before another jolt of warmth shot through her. Ruby smirked devilishly descended again; she hadn't even given her time to get used to it, her tongue was delving in and out, twisting and nudging ever so slightly at Weiss' sweet spot.

"Ruby!" Upon contact, loud profanities and moans sounding like Ruby's name ripped from the woman's throat. Pleasure spread through her like a wildfire and the woman intuitively rolled her hips, heaving as Ruby's tongue slid inside.

The cold red jewel seemed to be hitting all the right spots, sliding skillfully against her walls and licking at all the right places. Each lick had Weiss gasping and moaning, bucking her hips against her girlfriend's mouth as pressure began to quickly build up inside her abdomen. If it weren't for the shocks of euphoric pleasure she was feeling, her mind would've already blanked out. She had to enjoy this as much as possible.

Ruby had already become addicted to her girlfriend's taste. Her tongue would push inside and lap away at Weiss' arousal, the sound of Weiss' moans, gasps, and sputtering of her name spurred her on. If Weiss wanted more, she'd be more than happy to oblige. Sliding her tongue back inside, she could feel the woman beginning to tense up with the telltale signs of release.

Weiss was holding back. . . Well, that wouldn't do.

Ruby pulled her tongue out, briefly savoring the taste. "What're you waiting for?" She asked, drawing her tongue over the woman's wet entrance again, "Don't you feel good?" A simple whine was her response, "Well, why don't you show me?" Ruby's hand slowly came up as she dipped her tongue inside again, ensuring that Weiss was teetering on the edge. She leaned away, calloused fingers coming up and caressed her sensitive bud, "Show me you love me and cum for me, Weiss~"

Beneath her touch, Weiss stiffened.

One hand on Weiss' pelvis, she felt the woman convulse and she smirked, glancing up to see Weiss' eyes screwed shut and her breaths coming out in short gasps as she relaxed, the tension in her body slowly ebbing away. "Good girl." Ruby praised, giggling when glazed, clouded blue eyes opened and glared in her direction. It was hard for Ruby to take it seriously with the sight she was seeing.

Ruby snorted in amusement and Weiss growled at her lightly. "I'm sorry. Princess, that's just too sexy for me to take you seriously right now." She cupped her girlfriend's face and leaned down, turning her head to face her and placing a kiss on her nose. "I love you." Weiss sighed in content and Ruby smiled, "I'm gonna clean you up now, okay?" Confusion flashed through Weiss' eyes and Ruby moved down again, using her knee to nudge Weiss' legs apart again. "Relax, you'll like it."

They'd have to wash everything later, after Weiss completely returned to her senses, and take a shower to clean up. Weiss let out a huff and closed her legs, prompting the brunette to look at her and meet her eyes. "Cuddles." Weiss said plainly. Ruby felt her heart skip a beat upon hearing her girlfriend's soft, pleading voice. She almost sounded like she was afraid to ask. . .

"Alright." Ruby quietly whispered, crawling back up beside her and laying down, draping her arms across the older girl. Silently Weiss snuggled into her clothed chest and tucked her head underneath her chin, releasing a sigh of content as her body relaxed against Ruby. "Did I tire you? If it was too much, you coulda stopped me."

"I'm fine." Weiss replied tiredly, but Ruby could feel her chest still heaving and she could hear her heart beating erratically. Ruby whispered a quiet apology and embraced the woman in her arms, cooing soft, loving words to her as she drifted in and out of consciousness. Her body was still warm and heated from exertion, that and from the heavy blankets wrapped snugly around them.

* * *

**_!SMUT END!_**

* * *

Ruby didn't sleep, instead fixing her attention on the clock across the bed from her. Usually, she would please a woman and leave, using gum and breath mints to hide the smell on her breath. None of these women wanted affection afterwards, and if they did, Ruby refused to give it to them.

This time? She was home, the woman in her arms was not one of them, she loved her. But, what if she found out about Ruby's past before she was ready. . .? Would she still love her? Would she turn from her and deem her as 'one of them', thinking Ruby had used her?

No, she had to tell her, this wasn't exactly something she felt she should keep secret. Ruby shook her head and cradled her girlfriend close, whispering to herself that she would tell her when Weiss woke up again.

Twenty-five minutes ticked by, Ruby watching as the big hand ticked around the white surface. It was the only sound in the room save for Weiss' soft breathing against her neck. The older woman was fast asleep, her head remained comfortably tucked under Ruby's, one arm draped lazily over her side, and their legs intertwined.

The wind blew outside and she expected it to be drifting in from somewhere in the house, she expected to pull the blankets tighter around then, Considering it was early October, the weather was cold and windy, and despite being inside, safe from the weather, Ruby's first instinct was to keep the blankets tucked around her girlfriend, to protect her from the cold. She did the same thing when she was alone.

Although she paid the bills to keep electricity and heat running, she still felt like they would one day just shut off and she'd be left to fall back on her training. She paid the bills, but she'd stored food she knew wouldn't spoil back everywhere she could. In the back of her mind, she knew she didn't have to, but the voice in her head kept telling her that she needed to be a step ahead.

Three loud knocks on the door cut her off.

Ruby's eyes moved down to Weiss and hesitation built up inside of her. She looked so peaceful. . . Her eyes glared towards the door. _'Fuck you.'_ She silently said to the person at the door, hoping they would leave. She either moved to answer the door and woke Weiss, or she stayed put and waited for the person to go away. She watched the woman for a second, her breathing slow and relaxed. . . She was content.

Option B was her choice, there was no way she could wake her sleeping beauty. Not when she looked so peaceful.

The knocking became increasingly louder.

The woman in her arms stirred and Ruby stiffened. "Ruby?" Damn it, they'd woke her. She would check her security cameras later for the person responsible for waking her princess. . .

"Yeah?" Ruby answered as Weiss shifted to push herself up, pulling her arms back to her sides. "Did they wake you? I'm sorry." The brunette whispered, turning on her back so that she could see the woman better. Weiss' baby blue eyes were still glazed over with sleep as she didn't seem to be fully awake yet. "Weiss?" Ruby lifted one hand to boop her girlfriend's nose, giggling when slightly irritated brows narrowed in her direction, "Hello."

Weiss heaved a tired sigh and lay back down, resting her head in the crook of Ruby's neck as her upper body pressed against hers. Their heartbeats were in sync. "Who was at the door?" She asked, her breath warm against Ruby's collarbone.

"Don't know," Ruby replied as she lay her arms across her girlfriend's bare back, "I didn't get up to see, didn't wanna wake-"

Footsteps.

Ruby carefully nudged Weiss off her and ignored the woman's confused questions as she slid out of the bed, reaching to grab the hammer she kept next to her bed for situations like this. One good whack across the sensitive part of the human head with her hammer, and the intruder would be defeated. Though, she would much rather not use it.

"Ruby? I know you're here."

Ruby's blood froze with her hand on the door knob. Yang. . . Fuck! She'd forgotten she'd invited them over! She looked back at Weiss, who was watching her with a puzzled expression.

"She's probably asleep." Her senses flew onto high alert when she heard her sister's voice approaching her bedroom door. She could feel Weiss' eyes on her, watching her with newly surfaced suspicion. "Ruby! Come on, Sis, wake up!" Yang called as she pushed the door open.

Ruby immediately panicked and slammed her hands against it to keep it shut, making a small gesture for Weiss to get dressed. The door tried to open again and Ruby let out a growl, pressing all of her weight against it. "Ruby?" Yang asked from the other side of the door, "It's just me."

_'That's the problem.' _Ruby thought, glancing over her shoulder to see Weiss clipping her bra back on. Their eyes met momentarily and it took all of Ruby's willpower to refocus herself on what she was doing. "H-hold on Yang, just a minute." She felt Weiss' eyes on her again, clearly having recognized the name of the wanted woman.

Why hadn't she bought an apartment with doors that could _lock_?

After a few seconds, she looked back to see Weiss smoothing her dress shirt out and she released a heavy sigh. Now it was time for the inevitable. . . Ruby stepped away from the door and her arms dropped to her sides, her heart racing frantically in her chest. "A-alright, you can come in, Yang." Her mind raced with all of the outcomes that could spiral out of control about the situation.

The door instantly opened and Yang's eyes met with hers, Ruby could swear she saw them flicker red. "Ruby, you'd better have a good excuse for-. . ." Lilac eyes moved to Weiss, who had taken shelter behind Ruby.

"Yang, meet my girlfriend. . ."


	12. Red

_**Note:** If this uploads, it'll be a freaking miracle. The internet where I am currently is horrible. _

**_Chapter Eleven:_**

_**Red**_  
**[Weiss]**  
Date: Monday, October 19th  
Clarity - Zedd  
_'Cause you are the piece of me  
I wish I didn't need  
Chasing relentlessly  
Still fight and I don't know why  
If our love is tragedy why are you my remedy  
If our love's insanity why are you my clarity_

* * *

Yang Xiao Long, partner of Blake Belladonna.

Before her stood the women responsible for the stolen cargo three months ago, the people responsible for the millions upon millions of money lost from her family's company. These two were the reason her Father returned home furious so many times, and if they weren't the cause directly, they were definitely associated with it.

She briefly glanced at Ruby standing in front of her. Did she know about this? Hurt hit Weiss like a freight train, but she swallowed it and she closed her eyes. She could trust Ruby, she'd never been given a reason not to.

"It's nice to finally meet you." The woman turned her attention back to the blonde, Yang's lilac gaze seemed to turn red with hatred, and all Weiss could do was return the glare. "Didn't think I ever would."

"The feeling's mutual." Weiss responded bluntly, "I've heard some things about you. . ." Her mind was racing with a million thoughts, but she refused to acknowledge them right now. Not until she learned exactly what was going on here. . .

The brawler flashed a threatening, sarcastic smile before her gaze landed on Ruby. The woman's brows furrowed in suspicion as she eyed them up and down, her attention turned to the bed and Weiss swore the room got ten degrees hotter when fiery lilac eyes locked with her blue pair. "So," the tall woman smiled sweetly, "care to tell me what you were doin' to my sister in here? Or should I break your neck now?"

Weiss' jaw dropped agape. It took her a few seconds to register Yang's words, and when she did, a surge of anger shot through her. "Excuse me?!" She snapped, taking a step towards the woman, only to have Ruby gently push her back by the shoulders. "Are you threatening me?! I'll have you know, Ruby's the-"

Yang held her hand up, "Ahp, ahp, ahp, I don't wanna hear it. Whatever you're aboutta say, don't."

"Bitch!" Weiss growled out at Yang, ignoring the soft 'shhh' in her ear.

The other woman smirked. "Slut." She said simply. When Weiss was about to bark another insult, she felt Ruby stiffen and the brunette's eyes went wide. She knew that look. . . It was the same look in her eyes she'd had when Weiss had touched her, it was the _exact same reaction_.

Weiss frowned, replaying the moment in her head as Ruby turned to approach her sister. What had happened to her. . .?

"Ruby?" She faintly heard Yang say, she lifted her head to see her girlfriend standing in front of the blonde, she could practically feel the rage, the hurt, radiating off of her. Genuine concern flashed through Yang's eyes, "Ruby, what's wrong-"

"Yang. Step outside. _We_ need to talk."

Her voice was dripping venom, but the strange thing was that Weiss couldn't tell if she was being defensive of her, or herself. Her actions told her that the brunette had taken the insult to heart, as though it had been directed at her instead of Weiss.

Something had happened to her. . .

Yang frowned at her sister and looked up to Weiss, distrust in her eyes. "What about her-?" Weiss met her gaze, her expression mirroring the blonde's. Her gut told her that whatever happened to her girlfriend was Yang's doing, but the logical side of her was convinced the woman was not the one responsible.

Ruby cut her off immediately, "I didn't say _Weiss_, did I? I said _Yang_. Now move!" Rage briefly flickered through the older woman's face, but she instantly simmered down and moved to step outside, glancing back at Weiss before Ruby closed the door.

Once the door was shut, Weiss sat down on the bed to wait for their return, despite every bone in her body telling her to eavesdrop on the sisters' conversation, to make sure her girlfriend would be alright. She didn't feel like Ruby would be safe in the wanted woman's presence, Yang was associated with the terrorist group known for ending the lives of people who stood in their way.

Even if she wasn't directly the reason for so many deaths, she still had the blood of a murderer on her hands. Who was to say she wouldn't harm her own kin?

Perhaps that was why Ruby tensed up when Weiss touched her, she thought she was gonna hurt her. No, that wouldn't make sense, why would she think she would hurt her only during sex? Any other time she touched her, Ruby melted right into her without hesitation.

She only acted like that if she'd touched her during intimacy. . . Weiss' eyes widened and her heart fell. No, it couldn't be. Ruby had said she was her very first girlfriend, she said she loved her, she wouldn't be lying to her, would she? Weiss shook her head, trying to rid herself of the thought.

Weiss' fingers slid down her side, tracing over her body just as Ruby had done before. Her heart tightened and tears stung at the corners of her eyes; Ruby knew exactly what she was doing, didn't she? Her kisses, her touch, her soft, loving voice, even the way she'd worked her fingers and her tongue. It had experience written all over it.

_'She doesn't. . . She doesn't love me, does she?' _Weiss' breathing had become hard and labored as grief and regret twisted at her heart. She'd been _played_, Ruby didn't love her. She was manipulating her to have access to her family name! And she'd done it just as her father had done her mother. . . She should've noticed.

Ruby had given her love, a way out of her home and somebody to come to when she was upset. She gave Weiss somebody to confide in, but now that she was actually thinking about it. . . Ruby _never_ confided in her, she still knew as much about her as she did when they'd gotten together.

Weiss had given her heart and body to someone who had never cared for her at all, even after telling herself that she wouldn't make the same mistake her mother did.

It'd been so easy for her to fall for her. . . Ruby had known how to make her feel loved. Then again, maybe Weiss was just desperate for attention, so she'd opened up her heart without a second thought. But it still hurt, she felt as though ten thousand burning knives were slowly carving away at her heart. Their time together meant _nothing_ to Ruby.

Their passionate kisses, their seemingly endless flirting, their countless dates that ended with one of them being awkward, their late night conversations. . .

Even the 'I love you' was meaningless. . .

"What've I done?" Weiss whispered timidly, her voice cracking with hopelessness. She leaned herself back against the headboard, tears streaming down her cheeks as her chest throbbed. How had she been so foolish? She'd placed complete trust in her and handed over something precious; her heart and her body. Now she couldn't get it back.

"Weiss?"

Weiss glanced over to Ruby standing at the door and she immediately averted her eyes. Her expression had been one full of worry, acting as though she actually cared about her. If she looked at her, she'd fall in love all over again, she'd slip right back into her little game. "L-leave me alone." She managed to snarl out, her body beginning to tremble.

"No, you're upset." Ruby's voice was soft, causing yet another burning pain to tear at Weiss' heart. "Weiss, what's wrong. . .? Talk to me, please."

There she goes again, acting like Weiss meant something to her. "You know what's wrong." Weiss replied, trying to keep her voice even and avoid eye contact with Ruby. "I should've reported you to the authorities when I had the chance."

Ruby's response was one full of hurt. "What. . .? W-what're you talking about?"

Something snapped inside of the young woman and her blue eyes met Ruby's, burning with rage and betrayal. "You used me!" She still loved her, why did she still love her? "You made me fall in love with you only so you can receive access to my family's wealth! Just like my father!"

"I don't-"

Weiss cut her off, "Don't act oblivious, you dunce!" Her mind was racing with a million thoughts, some of them screaming at her to calm down and listen to Ruby, and the other half telling her that she had every right to be upset with her. "You _lied_ to me! You know everything about me and I don't know anything about you, and not to mention the fact _you knew exactly what you were doing_!"

"Weiss, let me-" Ruby's voice was barely louder than a whisper.

She wasn't going to hear it. She didn't want to. "I told you everything! You kept secrets from me! I gave-" Her voice dropped back to a whimper and she looked away again, her body began to tremble. Weiss couldn't force herself to continue yelling, she'd seen the heartbroken look in the brunette's eyes and it'd been too much for her. No, she couldn't allow herself to be guilt-tripped. "I gave you everything."

How could she have been so foolish. . .?

"Weiss, I never meant to hurt you. . . I love you. . ."

Weiss' heart tightened at the sound of the last three words. Oh Gods, how she wished it was true. . . But, it wasn't. Ruby was just trying to reel her back in under her control, just like her father. "No. You don't."

"What makes you say that?" Ruby asked quietly, avoiding eye contact with the older woman. Her voice sounded devoid of hope, and it was as if all the light in the room had gone out. "What have I done to make you say that. . .?"

"That was all buttering me up!" Weiss snapped, a small voice in the back of her head told her to back off. "That was never because you loved me!"

Ruby cut her off, her voice stern. "Then tell me what I did wrong." Silver eyes met Weiss' blue pair and her mouth clamped shut. "I turned my life around for you, and when I was able to, I took you out on dates, and when you didn't want to do anything, I let you stay at my apartment and relax. I did almost anything you asked of me. I never asked you to do anything you didn't want to do and I always looked for your consent. Besides from not opening up, where did I go wrong?"

Weiss stared at her for a long moment, searching her mind for a good response. She frowned and hardened herself, fixing her eyes on Ruby and burying her emotions. "Exactly what you just did." She said plainly, "Manipulation, trying to make me feel guilty and put me in the wrong."

Ruby lifted her head, her expression now lacking emotion. "I've never lied to you before. What makes you think I would lie to you now?"

'You've kept secrets.' Weiss wanted to say, leaning back to put some distance between her and Ruby.

"Weiss, if you have questions, I don't mind answering. . ." Ruby said softly, "I owe you that much."

Weiss glared at her, letting out an annoyed breath and relaxing herself. "You said I was your first girlfriend, if that were true, then how did you know what you were doing?"

Ruby scoffed and hung her head, a tiny smile came to her lips. "Somehow, I knew that'd be the first question you'd ask." She heaved a sigh and began speaking, "When I was eighteen, I followed my sister to the bar to see what she'd been up to, because I thought she might be up to some sketchy stuff. When I got there, I noticed a young woman sitting outside the building and I asked her what was wrong.

"She told me that her husband had acted out again, and while I listened to her she started getting. . . Seductive and she asked me if I had a boyfriend. I said no, and she asked me how I felt about women, I told her I'd never been with one. . . I don't really remember nothing much else besides her offering to 'show me the ropes', and she said she'd pay me. I needed money because Yang wasn't making enough to support the both of us, so I'd agreed."

Weiss' eyes widened in disbelief, she blinked multiple times as an attempt to process what she'd heard. "I'm sorry, did I hear you right? She paid you to sleep with her?" The look in Ruby's eyes told her that what she was hearing was the truth, every word of it. . .

Ruby shrugged, "In a way. She needed relief because her man wouldn't give it to her and she was disgusted by him, so I learned she went and picked women up off the streets to receive the attention she claimed she needed. I didn't allow her to touch me, and I made it very clear that if she ever tried to put her hands on me in a way I didn't want her to, I'd make sure her husband learned of what she's been up to."

So, Ruby had spent two years of her life as an indirect prostitute to survive. . . Weiss' mind traveled back to a few hours prior, how Ruby had tensed up when Weiss had touched her; that explained everything. She'd been so sure that Ruby had been cheating on her. . . Guilt rushed through her,

She'd misjudged her, _again_, without hearing her side of the story. She'd jumped to conclusions, just like an immature _child_ would do. The woman pulled her knees close to her chest, giving a slight nod to Ruby for her to continue.

Ruby's fingers began tapping against her knee, her attention now locked on the sheets as though they were the most interesting thing in the room. "She paid me extra for my performance and-"

"Hold up!" Weiss held her hand up to cut the brunette off. "Extra for your performance? That means you-"

A nervous, embarrassed smile came to the woman's face. "W-well, I, uh. . . I did watch a lot of, um. . . So I knew about the thing before I did the thing and, uh. Anyway!" Ruby rubbed her neck, continuing her story. "She introduced me to her friends, and considering all of them would be paying me, I didn't think twice about the offer. Although, I never agreed to any threesomes, and they seemed to be alright with that so long as they got what they needed out of me."

Her voice dropped, "This continued for two years, and eventually I became known for it. 'Red' they called me. . . That's what the Police would know me as. I never gave them my true name in fear of my identity being revealed. When I met you." Ruby looked at her again, "I was so afraid of you possibly rejecting me. I mean, who would want a damn-near prostitute as a girlfriend, or even as a soulmate. . .?"

Weiss released a heavy sigh and pulled herself back together, her gaze hardening as she asked her next question. "Are you still in contact with these women?"

"No," Ruby replied honestly, "I cut contact when I got with you." Her eyes widened, "I mean- when I started dating you! So, uh, I haven't talk to 'em in a month."

"Uh huh." Weiss' expression stayed the same, "What about this job your sister has?" She asked darkly, scrutinizing Ruby as an attempt to detect lies from truth. If Ruby had something to hide, her face would show it.

"My sister took the job a few months before she turned twenty so that she could care for herself and me, around the same time I was with those women." Ruby explained lightly, "The organization wanted to kill me for my silver eyes, the boss absolutely despised me, but Yang kept me safe. They wouldn't allow me into the system and only made an exception because of my sister."

"Wait, just a minute," Weiss held up a hand to stop Ruby, confusion written all over her face, "what do you mean? Kill you? Where were your parents?" Honestly, were they ever watching these two? Maybe if they had been a little more strict, none of this would've happened. And making money on their own? It sounded like they'd grown up homeless! Realization dawned when a meek, grief-stricken smile crossed Ruby's lips, her brows turning inwards as though she were fighting back tears. "Y-you're orphans."

"Ever since I could remember, yeah." Ruby sighed, her voice heavy. "Unless you count our time with Uncle Qrow, but he's not my father. Or, at least I don't think he was. And, the boss kept saying something about how those with silver eyes are cursed, if it weren't for Yang, I would've been killed and nobody would ever know."

She could've been killed. . .

"Ruby. . ." Weiss whispered. Every word she'd said was the truth, she could tell. What kind of girlfriend was she. . . ? Weiss shook her head, refusing to allow her heart to get the best of her. "What happened to them?"

The brunette shrugged her shoulders again, "I. . . Don't know. All I remember is, well, waking up in a hospital with Yang and Uncle Qrow." She didn't remember. . .? That meant that she was involved in whatever happened to them. "They told me my mother was dead, and I've never met my father."

Weiss sighed and bowed her head, processing her girlfriend's explanation. Her history with those women explained why she'd been hesitant with her at first, why she'd tensed up during sex and upon hearing the word 'slut' from her sister's mouth. Her childhood explained her anxiety and her family's death definitely showed why Ruby was awake pacing the apartment nearly every night. Then her time at that _place_ finalized it all, giving a reason as to why she'd kept secrets.

"Weiss." The way Ruby said her name was affectionate, yet almost desperate. "I really do love you. . . I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I just," she paused for a moment and her chest rose and fell with anxious breaths, "I didn't know how'ta explain it, and I was afraid. . ." Hesitation creeped into her voice, "I was afraid you'd wind hating me, and I didn't wanna lose you."

The heiress watched her for a long moment, guilt tearing at her heart. "Ruby. . . I was afraid you were cheating on me. . ."

"I wouldn't do that!" Ruby cut her off immediately, "I'm not like that!"

"I'm glad to hear it." Weiss smiled, "But, Ruby, that was my fault. . ." Her smile fell, replaced by a sorrowful look. "I didn't trust you enough, and I practically forced you to open up to me when you weren't ready."

"I was planning on telling you anyway." Ruby tried to reassure her, "But, let me ask you something. . . Have I lost you?" Her voice had become small, almost as if she'd break at the slightest amount of pressure. She seemed willing to let her go, she'd obviously be upset, but she wouldn't hold her back. "Weiss?" Ruby whispered quietly.

Weiss averted her eyes as she was sent through a turmoil of emotions. Once again, her mind was in a conflict, one half saying she should get up and leave and the other side telling her to trust Ruby; she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with the latter option, though. She didn't know what to say, she loved Ruby, but would this be worth it?

She felt the bed shift as a weight left it and realization clicked. Ruby was leaving. . . Panic shot through her. She hadn't answered her question! "N-no! Wait!" Weiss yelped, reaching to grab the brunette's wrist. The tall woman looked back at her, making no movements while Weiss delicately pulled her back to the bed; she could've very easily broken away if she wanted to.

"I'm sorry," she said softly when their eyes met, Ruby's deep silver pools almost lacked emotion of any kind, "It will take some getting used to," Weiss confessed, "and I'm not completely comfortable with all of this new information, so it'll take me awhile to process it. . ."

"So I lost you?" Ruby asked with a monotone voice.

"Ruby. . . _Meine dumme Rose_. That is honestly such a stupid question." Weiss said firmly, "You cannot get rid of me that easily. I'll be here for you through life and death. . ." her voice faded off into a whisper, "That is, if you'll have me."

"Weiss. . ." The brunette whispered, her voice cracking as she leaned to gently rest her forehead against hers, it was as if a weight had lifted from her shoulders. "Thank you. . ."

Before she could respond, an obnoxious, familiar voice cut her off and she instead groaned. "Ruby! We're back!" Yang called through the apartment, followed by the sound of shuffling. "I hope you didn't want any eggs, 'cause they were all out!"

Well, that moment was over.

"When did they leave?" Weiss asked as Ruby sat up, recomposing herself.

The red clad woman smiled nervously, "I sent them to town to pick up supplies," she explained, sliding off the bed, "I was hoping we could get a shower in before they came back." She cast a glance over her shoulder, approaching the door. "We're making dressing, you wanna join us?"

_'Dressing?'_ A look of pure confusion formed on her face. "Making _what now_?" Weiss got up to follow her girlfriend. "Why does that sound like it will have poison in it?"

Ruby released a sharp bark of laughter and Weiss paused at the bedroom door. "Yang! You won't believe it, Weiss doesn't know what dressing is!"

"You mean she's actually here?" A quiet, monotone voice asked. "Ruby! We told you not to trust her!" This one was a bit quieter, but sharper. Weiss could only assume that the woman was Blake Belladonna, she and Yang were never far apart from what she understood.

Ruby responded with a growl, "And _I_ told _you_ to trust _me_. She's my girlfriend, so you'll treat her with _respect_." Why did that sound like they would attack her if she turned her back for even a second?

Weiss drew in a slow breath. Just outside of this room were two criminals, people responsible for so much unnecessary grief. . .

Yang came around the corner with a bowl, her lilac eyes darted to Weiss as she crept down the hallway, her heart now roaring in her ears. The blonde offered a sweet smile as she handed the bowl off to Ruby, who entered the kitchen.

A woman with long, black hair glanced up at Weiss, her golden eyes lacking any sort of emotion. Weiss' eyes flickered upwards and felt a chill race up her spine and she grit her teeth, every muscle in her body tensed. She was a faunus... Weiss let out a strained breath, not blind to the fact that the woman was sending her the same look she must've been giving her.

If Ruby was friendly with her, then Weiss could be as well.

"Speaking of Weiss," Yang said, looking directly at the heiress, "I'd like to have a lil' talk with 'er." Weiss' blood ran cold. "Outside."

Oh she was so dead. . .

Five minutes later, Weiss found herself standing on the balcony with the brawler. The door was shut and the curtains were closed, not to mention the fact there was nobody else around. This woman could kill her in two seconds flat and make it seem like an accident, and the other woman was keeping Ruby inside, away from them.

Why had Weiss agreed to come outside with her _alone_? If this were anybody else, perhaps she wouldn't be near as nervous, but Yang was a _wanted woman_. She wasn't safe.

"You're looking at me like I'm going to kill you." Yang said flatly, leaned against the railing and glancing around to make sure nobody saw her. "Relax, Ice Queen, I just wanna talk."

"What about?" Weiss responded cautiously, watching the blonde closely.

A light gust of wind blew through the balcony and the rumble of thunder echoed in the distance, the skies were already starting to match the dark look in the older woman's lilac eyes. "You had sex with my baby sister, didn't you?"

Her blood ran cold. Yep, she was definitely dead. "Well, um, isn't that a-"

"Answer the question, Schnee." Yang growled, moving to stand over intimidatingly. Weiss stared up at her, examining the blonde's expression as relaxation slowly swept over her. There was no malice in the woman's eyes, she had no intentions of physically harming her.

If she did, she would be wearing the same look her father does.

Yang wasn't going to hurt her… She didn't have to be afraid. A small smirk came to her lips.

"That's a personal question, Ms. Xiao Long; an invasion of privacy, to be precise."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Yang's fist hit the wall behind her, but Weiss didn't flinch. "Don't play dumb with me!" She shouted, her eyes nearly blazing red. "I know very well what you two were doing! Or are ya gonna tell me that my eyes and sense of smell deceived me?!"

Ah, she had a card up now. Weiss just smiled. "Why are you asking me when you already know? You answered your own question."

"I'll take that as a yes." Yang's frown deepened, "What did you do to her?"

"Ah, ah," Weiss said with a smirk, vividly recalling just how skilled the younger woman had been, "you should be asking what _she _did to _me_."

Yang's eyes darkened, "I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." She heaved a sigh and rubbed her temple, the stress on her face slowly ebbing away. She pushed herself up and away from Weiss. "Do you love my sister?" Yang asked flatly and Weiss' blood rushed cold.

Icy blue eyes glanced towards Ruby in the kitchen and she released a heavy sigh. A tiny smile came to her lips upon seeing the happy brunette giggling, her silver eyes wide with excitement and joy as she danced around to the beat in her head, but she was careful not to drop or knock anything over. Weiss' eyes slowly moved downwards to the brunette's hips, watching mesmerized as they swayed to a steady beat.

Weiss' heartbeat picked up, heat creeping to her face when Ruby looked over to her. The silver-eyed girl winked knowingly at her before sashaying out of Weiss' view. Snapping out of her trance, realization hit her and she could feel the irritation radiating off of the blonde next to her.

"Yeah," she whispered affectionately, turning her attention back to Yang, "I love her."

_'And I'm not going to let her go.'_

* * *

**Notes: **_If you enjoyed this chapter, let me know! If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  
_chapters posted: 11  
chapters ahead: 4


	13. What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

**Initiating****_ timeskip!_**  
**5-6 months**

* * *

_**Chapter Twelve:**_

_**What Have I Gotten Myself Into?**_  
**[Weiss]**  
Date: Wednesday, March 24th  
Lies a Warrior - Beth Crowley  
_The pictures come to life  
__Wake in the dead of night  
__Open my eyes. I must be dreaming  
__Clutch my pillow tight  
__Brace myself for the fight  
__I've heard that seeing  
__Is believing_

* * *

Soon after they'd eaten, Yang surprised Weiss with a two-paged list titled 'Things Not To Do To My Sister', afterwards she endured yet another long speech about how nobody would ever find her mutilated body if she were to ever hurt Ruby, physically or emotionally.

One of the things listed on the paper was that sex is strictly prohibited.

Technically, Yang wrote that if Weiss even so much as shares a bed with her dear 'baby sister', she'd likely wake up dead in a pool of her own blood. The most absurd thing written was that a kiss shouldn't last longer than three seconds, otherwise Yang would hurl a knife in Weiss' direction.

After reading through it, Ruby had taken the paper and confronted Yang about her excessive requirements to date her, which resulted in a second argument that the other woman lost when Ruby brought up the fact she was an adult and paid her own bills; she'd even threatened to legally prevent the blonde from ever returning to her apartment if she didn't loosen up.

The two eventually come to an agreement; the only requirement being that if Weiss was to date Ruby, she would have to accompany them during a mission if she was present when Yang and Blake received it. Thankfully, Ruby only ever needed to help them escape without being caught, so Weiss reluctantly agreed when Ruby promised that she'd keep her safe.

Blake, on the other hand, remained completely silent all through the ordeal. She didn't seem to _despise _Weiss, unlike her fiery partner, but it's clear that she was a little on the tense side. She appeared to be the voice of reason in the group, considering she'd silenced the bickering sisters with a simple, yet loud, 'Quiet!'.

Her accent was deep, sounding _almost _Mistralian, but not quite.

Her life had taken an unexpected turn during that time. She'd learned everything about the trio, and quite a bit about the organization they worked for. Well, the company the black and yellow duo worked for, Ruby only accompanied them when she was needed for escape.

Weiss still didn't like the fact her girlfriend was associated with a faunus, but she would tolerate the situation. Blake didn't seem all that bad, despite being one of those who had cost her family's company a fortune… Then again, she'd come to the realization that the two women were being threatened with a death sentence if they refused to comply with the Organization's orders.

It made her worry for Ruby… She was still helping her sister and Blake, so that meant she was still within the Organization's system, right? She should be protected… She was carefully steering away, and she'd taken a hit for their main target, Weiss, so that didn't help much.

Especially since they were needing Ruby's help so much lately.

When Yang, Blake, and Ruby were busy discussing an escape route for an upcoming mission, Weiss received a phone call from her father located in Argus.

Ironically enough, the phone call had been about the exact location the other two had been talking about. Weiss was required to send some men out to collect the supplies and through that, they'd learned the perfect way to get in and still keep Ruby and Weiss' identities protected.

Although, she did end up being involved in a chase. Thankfully, nobody had recognized her, and they'd used a vehicle belonging to the Organization. It was likely chipped…

Ruby kept her word, and whenever Weiss had a question, she'd do her best to give her an answer. Weiss made a promise to herself to hear Ruby out before ever judging her again, and try not to jump to conclusions. Two people in a relationship have to work together, right?

Somewhere within the next four-to-five, she'd practically moved in with her girlfriend, completely unintentionally. It'd all started when they returned home late and Ruby invited her to stay over, which Weiss hesitantly accepted. At first she'd felt rather strange sharing a bed with her girlfriend overnight, but by the second night Weiss accepted the new situation, she often found herself staying up and listening to the brunette's snoring.  
Well, she wasn't really snoring. It was more like soft breaths rather than obnoxious gurgle-like sounds she often heard from her brother across the hall.

Soft breathing meant that Ruby was relaxed and content, that she was resting well. If she wasn't asleep at night, she'd be up and pacing the room. She'd only done that once during the time Weiss has been staying with her…

Tonight, she was restless… Asleep, but unrelaxed.

"No. . ."

Weiss blurrily blinked her eyes open, her brows furrowing in mild confusion as her eyes swept the room. Finding nothing, she let out a breath and relaxed herself, allowing her eyelids to flutter shut as she sank back into the pillow, breathing in the faint rose-scented softener used for the sheets.

Her mind slowly began to shut off, slipping into a peaceful slumber and brushing aside whatever worry she'd had before.

"No. . ."

Her eyes opened again and she weakly pushed herself up, registering the voice as Ruby's. She squinted and examined the dark room, searching for her girlfriend. A little noise in the back of her head pleaded with her to go back to sleep, to ignore whatever problem the brunette was having and let her sort it out herself.

Weiss felt the bed tremble slightly and she turned her head back to see Ruby curled up in a fetal position; she was quivering, her eyelids twitching as her body stiffened and relaxed. Her fists unclenched and clutched the sheets with a death-like grip, her brows knitted together as if she were in pain and her teeth locked in a tight grit.

A soft, heartbroken whine grabbed Weiss' attention and she shifted all of her weight to her other side, navigating her way to her girlfriend through the blankets."Ruby?" She whispered tiredly, but worriedly. She rested her hand on the woman's shoulder, hoping it would somehow soothe her. "I'm here, I'm here..." She didn't know if Ruby could hear her, but it was worth a shot.

"Don't-. . ."

Weiss didn't know what to do. Wake her? Wait and see if she calms down on her own? Talk to her? "_Alles ist in Ordnung, meine Liebe_." She whispered soothingly, praying Ruby would hear her.

"N-no!" Her voice had become a desperate plea, her body tensing up as tears started running down her cheeks. She made a grief-stricken whine of anguish, a quiet sob escaped the brunette. Weiss' heart constricted and she leaned down, whispering sweet, reassuring nothings to her girlfriend, trying to wipe her tears away.

Ruby's silver eyes snapped open and Weiss didn't expect for Ruby to jerk up as fast as she did, but in retrospect she probably should've. She didn't have a chance to move back before Ruby's head smacked into her nose, pain erupted from it immediately. Weiss crawled back, groaning with her hand over her nose as Ruby gradually returned to her senses.

"Ah-!" Weiss looked up from behind watering eyes to see Ruby scrambling over to her, "W-Weiss, you're bleeding!" She exclaimed worriedly, gently grasping Weiss' wrist to move it away from her face. "What happened?"

Weiss glared at her, "You _headbutted_ me, you idiot!"

"Did I?" Ruby whispered timidly, "I didn't-" the silver-eyed woman reached up and placed one finger on Weiss' throbbing nose. Upon contact, she felt a familiar warmth embrace her and something indescribable rushed through her body, almost like her soul had intertwined with another if only for a brief second. The pain slowly receded and Ruby pulled away. "You a'ight now?"

"I'm fine." Weiss let out a breath and refocused her eyes on Ruby, her heart tightening when she saw the redness around her silver orbs. "You were experiencing a bad dream," she murmured as Ruby sat back on her knees, her body still trembling, "what was it?"

A silence swept over the room and Ruby's expression became guarded, "I dunno." She replied honestly, averting her eyes from Weiss'. She could feel a sad aura radiating off of her. "I never remember... All I ever remember is being afraid."

"That's it?" Weiss urged softly, "Nothing else?"

Ruby nodded, her voice quiet as she spoke. "I think... I think it has something to do with my mother." Her voice cracked at the mention of her mother. Weiss' chest clenched upon realization.

Something had to have happened to her parents for her to be an orphan...Whatever had happened to them, Ruby had seen everything with her own eyes. The memories were at the back of her mind, so something in her dreams must have triggered the memories and caused her nightmares.

"Oh Ruby," Weiss whispered under her breath, she sighed and moved over to her lover, gently pressing her hand against her chest to lower her back down. Ruby's eyes met hers and she lay back against the sheets again. Weiss offered her a soft, adoring smile. "Well," she said, reaching up to caress the woman's cheek, "everything's alright now, Engelsaugen."

Ruby's brows creased in confusion as she processed her girlfriend's foreign words. "Anga-whatta?" She asked, frowning when Weiss laughed.

"Engelsaugen." She repeated slowly, resting her body against Ruby's and crossing her arms across her chest.

"A gill sawing?" Ruby's face twisted into one of pure bewilderment.

"No." Weiss replied softly, amused by her attempt to repeat the word. Ruby opened her mouth again and Weiss shook her head, silencing the younger girl. "Don't hurt yourself trying to say it, love."

A small smile came to Ruby's lips, "Y'know. . . You say all'a these weird-sounding words and never tell me what they mean." Weiss' heart skipped a beat when Ruby gave a playful laugh. "My dear, are you insultin' me? Damn!"

"Hmm." Weiss hummed affectionately, closing her eyes and releasing a soft, content sigh. Ruby was in a good mood now, that's all she could ask for. Chuckling, Weiss pushed herself up with one hand to hover over the younger woman. "Oh I would never!" She mock-gasped, placing her spare hand over her chest to add a dramatic effect. "How could you assume such a thing about me? _Meine süße Rose_, I thought you loved me!"

The brunette giggled happily, and Weiss' heart fluttered. _'That's what I like to see. My happy Rose.'_

Their eyes met and Ruby's smile molded into a seductive smirk, Weiss' breath caught in her throat. She'd said it outloud. "Ooh, I see." Ruby whispered as she pulled her down, her breath tickling Weiss' ear, "I see what's goin' on here. . . Don't tell me you've forgotten just how much I love you already."

Weiss glanced towards the clock as a shudder ran down her spine. Ruby was happy now, her nightmare having long been forgotten. Who was she to reject? "M-maybe I have." She said softly, tapping her forehead against Ruby's and brushing their lips together. "Perhaps you could remind me?" Weiss murmured.

An indescribable look flashed through Ruby's silver eyes. "With pleasure." Ruby replied immediately, lifting Weiss up with ease and carefully flipping her over. Their lips met again and Ruby's pierced tongue instantly slipped inside the heiress' mouth, exploring the already familiar space as her calloused hands slid up Weiss' nightgown, ruffling it up and over her hips.

Ruby's fingers gripped her waist and the younger girl shifted to lean up, pressing her weight against her lover and deepening the kiss. Noticing the aggressiveness surfacing in her girlfriend, Weiss pushed against Ruby's abdomen as an attempt to snap her back to her senses. There wasn't much she could do in this situation without harming her.

Upon contact, a growl escaped Ruby and she nipped Weiss' bottom lip in warning, her touch was no longer gentle and affectionate. . . Weiss broke the kiss by leaning her head back against the pillows, gasping for breath as Ruby pulled away to put distance between them. Her silver eyes were glazed over, but not with lust, with defiance.

"Ruby. . ." Weiss whispered softly, capturing the girl's attention. "It's me, Weiss." Recognition briefly flashed through her eyes, "You're with me. . . Not them." She smiled as concern filled her girlfriend's gaze, indicating that she was returning to her senses. "You're not going to hurt me."

"Weiss." Ruby repeated gently as she descended again, bumping her head below Weiss' chin. "Weiss," her voice was soft now, endearing almost. "My Weiss. . ." Weiss craned her neck back as the brunette moved down, her teeth quickly finding the older woman's pulse point and softly nibbling at the area.

"No consideration for your guests, huh?" Yang announced her appearance with a light knock on the door, she wore a look of pure annoyance and a murderous glare that was aimed directly at Weiss. The woman had made it rather clear that although she accepted their relationship, she wouldn't tolerate anything more intimate than a kiss in her presence.

Weiss felt a chill of terror run down her spine and she pushed herself up, attempting to hide herself against Ruby. The brunette released a comforting hum and cradled her close for a brief moment, reassuring Weiss that she was safe.

"A'ight, since you two ain't naked. Ruby, we need your help with this mission." Yang said as she entered the room, shooing the two away from each other as she made herself comfortable on the bed. Ruby's eyes widened and Weiss swore she saw the word 'murder' written in them as Yang sat down between them. "So, Blake and I will be heading back to Ol' Sweet Home, and since ya haven't really been officially laid off, you need to come with us."

Ruby's eyes widened, "Um," she blinked in disbelief, "did you not see what happened at the manor?! I have a fucking target painted across my back!"

The blonde raised a brow, "No, technically, you don't." She gave a small smirk, "Nobody else knows you protected Weiss 'cept for Cerule, and he's dead."

Ruby let out a loud groan. "Just when I thought I was free!"

Yang gave Weiss a blank stare, "And the Ice Queen needs to come too, can't risk her goin' off and tellin' people about the Organization."

Yeah, like she would tell people about the shady business her soulmate's sister was involved in and risk possibly losing Ruby as an accessory to criminal activities. "I wouldn't do that, I think you're misjudging me."

Yang simply raised a brow in disbelief, her lilac eyes were nothing but distrusting and judgemental. "Anyway," the woman turned her attention back to Ruby with a warm smile, "mind if we use your truck? It's kinda a big load."

"This isn't another from the SDC, is it?" Ruby asked tentatively, eyes darting between Weiss and Yang. Yang's expression must've answered the question because Ruby instantly stood to her feet, aggravation written all over her face. "Yang! No! I've told you, I won't-"

The blonde raised her hands in desperation, "Ruby, we can't help what we do! C'mon!" Wait, just a moment. Was Yang Xiao Long begging? Weiss couldn't help but to snicker at the sight. Oh this was too good. "Boss gives us a job, we do it, we get paid, we have no choice, you know this."

Hesitation flickered through Ruby's eyes and her stance slackened, her attention moving to Weiss and anxiously awaiting her response. _'Should I?'_ Her eyes silently asked, _'I don't know what to do. Help me.'_ Weiss remained silent for a minute, pondering her lover's silent question and considering her options; if she helped them, it may reward them with some alone time without the black and white duo's presence, but if they were found, it could cost Weiss her entire _life_. She would be helping them _rob_ her own company.

"Fine." Weiss finally decided with great regret forming inside of her. Ruby's eyes widened with disbelief. "But, first, if we get caught," she said as she raised her finger as an attempt to capture the women's attention, her voice low and momentous. "I do not have anything to do with the situation."

Yang scoffed and Weiss felt fury rise up inside, she grit her teeth. "You'll be the one to get us caught, Ice Queen. We're professionals, so if anything happens it'll be entirely your fault."

Weiss shot to her feet like a bullet, standing over the nonchalant blonde woman and seething with contained rage. "What is your problem with me?!" She snapped, ignoring Ruby's soft 'Weiss' from next to Yang. "I have done nothing to encourage you to treat me as though I'm _beneath_ you! I've-"

The lilac-eyed woman raised a brow, "So, are you tellin' me that I'm below you?" She sneered as Weiss' jaw clenched, "Tsch, tsch. Well we can't have you treatin' my baby sister like a piece'a garbage simply because she grew up in the slums."

"Don't twist my words, you brute!"

Yang smirked at her. "Don't leave 'em out in the open for me to twist 'em, then."

Ruby's annoyed sigh caught the women's attention, "As nice as it was for you to visit, _Yang_." The brunette gave her sister a rough shove off the bed, forcing the blonde to her feet and approaching the door. Ruby swung the door open with her ankle, the glare on her face never wavering for a second."I'd like to have some alone time with my girlfriend, if you don't mind."

Yang's jaw dropped as if someone had suddenly dropped a bombshell on her. "Are you kicking me out so you can get laid?!" She exclaimed, grabbing the door frame with both hands and gawking at the younger woman. Weiss barely suppressed a bark of laughter.

Ruby's expression remained stoic and her voice firm. "Yes."

An idea struck the heiress and Weiss walked up behind her girlfriend, giggling as she draped her arms across the taller woman's shoulders and leaning into her back. With a seductive voice, she said; "Oh she's welcome to stay if so desires. . . Shall we continue from where we left off, _meine Liebe_?"

The white in Yang's eyes seemed to turn red with fury and her hands clenched into fists, Weiss could read the word 'murder' written all over the woman's face. Very similar to Ruby's aforementioned glare. "Hey!" Yang's voice was menacing, "Don't you go seducing her, you hear me?!"

The brunette smiled knowingly, reaching up and gently grasping Weiss' wrists as she tilted her head to the side to look at her. She leaned in for a kiss that was very quickly reciprocated. "Why don't we give 'er a good show since she won't leave?"

Yang spun around on her heel and stomped down the hallway, muttering swears under her breath as she approached the door. The woman paused in her tracks and turned to look at the couch, steam nearly blowing out of her ears. "She's kickin' us out so she can go and have sex!" Yang exclaimed to someone beside her, who laughed in response and Yang groaned, throwing her hands in the air in frustration and exiting the apartment without looking behind her.

Without a second thought, Ruby stepped back into the room and Weiss released her. Ruby turned around, swung the door closed with her foot and leaned in to capture Weiss' lips all within the same motion. "Well," Weiss said once the kiss broke, "should we begin preparing for the mission?"

Ruby raised a brow with a seductive glint in her silver eyes. "Oh I'm not done with you."

* * *

The sun had already begun to set by the time they'd reached the location Yang had requested they meet at. When the blonde had mentioned a secret hideout, Weiss had obviously expected some fancy undercover establishment. She'd been quite disappointed and shocked to learn that the place was an old, run-down and abandoned warehouse out in the slums of Mantle.

From what she'd gathered from Ruby and judging by what she knew herself, the Organization was a well-organized group of thugs, criminals, and more, bringing thousands upon thousands of lien to them with each mission they took. Hell, they'd stolen millions worth of Schnee cargo less than six months ago! And _this_ is what they had to show for it? What exactly were they doing with the money?

A cold draft floated through the building and Weiss took a step closer to her girlfriend, leaning against her as an attempt to conserve her body heat. Weiss had discovered that the warehouse they were in was rather drafty and slightly frosted considering the building's heating units had long since shut off, which was rather ridiculous considering the cold temperatures of Solitas could kill a living creature within minutes.

Oh hell, she was going to freeze out here, wasn't she? Her three layers of warm clothing wasn't exactly doing much, and the fire could go out any second now if the wind didn't die down.

"You're not gonna freeze to death, Weiss." Blue eyes flickered up to meet Ruby's warm silver pair. "We'll be fine 'till they get here, the fire'll keep us decently warm. The Organization may be shady, but they don't want their employees dying from hypothermia," the brunette's eyes became distant, "so they've issued heat compression clothing. It regulates your body temperature and provides warmth if it starts to drop. Blake's bringing them."

"The fact you knew what I was thinking about concerns me. . ."

Ruby chuckled and lifted one arm, pulling Weiss to her side and giving her temple a soft kiss, her fingers caressed her head sweetly. "The look on your face told me everything, that and you came closer to me as if I'd keep ya warm."

Weiss closed her eyes and relaxed against her girlfriend's side, hoping that the extra protection would shield her from the cold. "Even if you could, we would still freeze to death out here if your brute of a sister fails to show up. . ."

As if on cue, the door swung open and two young women entered. Weiss shuddered as another cold wind followed them inside; an obnoxious and extremely unpleasant voice echoed through the empty building. "Hello Reaper! _Kalt_." Yang greeted both cheerfully and sarcastically.

The heiress' brows furrowed, "Reaper? Kalt?" She asked as Blake approached over two full body black suits to Ruby, sparing Weiss only a single glance before returning to Yang's side.

"We can't use our real names out here." Blake explained briefly, gesturing for the two of them to put the suits on. "So we use codenames, and if you don't have an intimidating codename, you're as good as dead." She gestured to Yang, "She goes by 'Dragon', and I go by 'Panther'. Ruby is 'Reaper'."

Weiss frowned, glancing to her girlfriend as Ruby started to peel her layers of clothing off to quickly apply the heat-induced suit. "That's concerning," she whispered, urging herself to look away from the brunette and focus her attention on Yang, "but why Kalt?"

Yang's judgemental, yet stoic expression returned. "Because you're cold, and cold kills people. Be thankful I even considered givin' ya one in the first place." The blonde growled threateningly, "I'd much rather have you go out into the streets and getcha self-"

An audible crunch cuts Yang off. The trio of women turn in Ruby's direction, and look to the crushed cardboard locked in her fist. The energy in the air becomes electrified, heavy and solid around them. Ruby's face is darkened, her hair covering any expression she may be currently displaying. "Finish that sentence," She growls, "I fucking dare you."

The hostile stance only allowed Weiss a very pleasing view; the tight suit hugged the woman's curves just right, caressing her hips and gliding over her stomach to embrace her chest. How anybody could find her intimidating was beyond her.

"A'ight." Yang's growl caught Weiss' attention, snapping her out of her trance. The older woman approached the brunette and dread pooled in the pit of Weiss' stomach, "That's going a step too far, Ruby. Putting your girlfriend over _family_?"

Ruby scowled back at her, "You've done the exact same thing to me," she said, her voice eerily calm, "I'm only returning the favor."

"What on Earth are you talking about?!" Yang shouted, her hands again turning into fists. Ruby was right, she did have a fiery, dangerous aura to her when she was irate. "You're not making any sense, Ruby!"

"The many times you kicked me out of the house so you can have some alone time with Blake!" Ruby snapped back.

Yang's brows furrowed. "What does that have to do with _anything_?"

Blake and Weiss exchanged an equally perplexed look, both deciding that it was best not to interfere. After all, these two had a problem of their own to sort out. They could step in if it got physical. With everybody's attention distracted, Weiss grabbed her own suit and slowly approached the fire to change real quick.

"I'd come back and you'd never even ask me if I was okay, where I went, or even apologizing!" Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs.

Weiss removed the first layer of clothing, shuddering when cold air met her skin.

"Ruby-" Yang started.

Ruby continued. "You and I _both_ know how dangerous this city is!"

Weiss set aside her second jacket and knelt close to the fire, hissing when she was caught between the freezing Solitas air and the heat of the flames.

"I know-" Yang was cut off again.

"I slept in the truck many times 'cause I was afraid I'd be jumped out here!" Ruby shouted, stepping closer to Yang and growling at her, "Did you even care?!"

Weiss kicked her shirt to the pile and quickly removed her jeans, grumbling about how her skirts were much easier to remove. She reached to grab the suit.

Yang held up her hands as an attempt to calm the infuriated brunette. "Ruby, that's not what this is-"

"You're right!" Ruby silenced her with a creepy, sweet smile. "I get a girlfriend, ask you to trust me, and what do you do?" Her voice became higher with rage. "You keep barging in my love life when I've never said a goddamn thing about yours! Then you go and tell us what we can and can't do, and even _threaten_ my girlfriend. I don't give a damn if you're family, you _don't threaten_ her."

"That's not what I'm-" Yang sighed and shook her head, "Can I just-..."

Weiss glanced up and her blue eyes met with a wide pair of lilac. Yang was. . . Watching her. Humiliation and horror settled inside of Weiss and she instantly covered her chest with the suit, scowling back at the woman as anger pooled in the pit of her stomach. _'Pervert!'_

"What are you looking-..." Ruby looked over her shoulder, following her sister's line of view. Silver eyes widened in realization and the brunette's head slowly turned back to her sister. The air became significantly colder.

Her voice was murderous.

"Oh _**hell no**_."

* * *

"Hey babe, I need your permission to rob a warehouse that contains SDC cargo."

_"Alles ist in Ordnung, meine Liebe" - _Everything's alright, my love_  
_"_Engelsaugen_" -Angel Eyes  
_"Meine süße Rose"_ \- My sweet Rose  
My **main focus** of fanfiction is still my upcoming fic called 'White Instinct' as I want it to be mostly finished before I post it


	14. Bloodshed

I forgot to upload this and every time I went to editing, I was called away... But better late than never!

Warning: There will be violence and graphic descriptions in this chapter.

* * *

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

**_Bloodshed_**

**[Ruby]**

Date: Thursday, March 25th  
Angel With a Shotgun - The Cab  
_They say before you start a war_

_You better know what you're fighting for  
Well baby, you are all that I adore  
If love is what you need, a soldier I will be  
I'm an angel with a shotgun  
Fighting til' the wars won  
I don't care if heaven won't take me back  
I'll throw away my faith, babe, just to keep you safe_

Ruby only vaguely remembered a surge of cold strength rushing through her and her adrenaline skyrocketing. Then, the world around her became too dark for her to comprehend anything.

Everything afterwards had become a blur of red and rage… When she'd come out of it, Yang had her pinned against the wall in a defensive position, but her grip was loose enough that she wasn't hurting her. Blake had already left the building and Weiss was watching them from the exit, her light blue eyes wary and cautious of the brunette.

She'd even flinched when Ruby approached her… Ruby didn't know what she'd done, but apparently it'd been severe enough to startle her girlfriend. She wouldn't have said anything if Weiss wanted to leave right then and there, she would've let her go, let her return home to _safety_.

Whatever she'd done, she shouldn't have lost her temper.

Then again… Yang was the one ogling her girlfriend. She had a valid reason to be upset, right?

The four of them had left the warehouse behind and begun towards the train station where they would meet their assigned partner group. The situation didn't sit right with Ruby, they had never gathered at the train station before, so why start now? Not to mention the fact they were retrieving Schnee military equipment.

_'Strange.' _She thought, eyeing the building suspiciously, the darkened windows, and ominous air. Blake leads them around the back, quiet and cautious as usual. _'We're usually given the full schedule of the employees, a specific location to break in, a list of the stuff we're grabbing and an emergency escape if needed.'_

Yang whispered under her breath, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts and rubbing at the sore spot on her head. "I done told you, I wasn't looking at your girl."

Ruby hissed at her in response, still unwilling to believe her sister's explanation. "You sure as hell was lookin' in her direction."

The blonde rolled her eyes. "I wasn't lookin' at her! I thought I saw someone-"

"Oh bullshit!" Ruby growled.

"That's enough, _girls_," Blake said firmly as she placed herself between the sisters, "we have a mission to focus on here." She lowered herself down into a crouch, "We're here." Blake announced quietly, golden eyes scanning the area closely. A beeping noise rang over the train engines and Blake let out a hum of acknowledgement, "Looks like the Scorpions are here, too."

Hearing the mention of their partners' name, Ruby leaned up over the icy rocks and searched for their location. Yang withdrew a pair of retractable binoculars, giving Ruby a light nudge when she caught sight of the other group on the far side of the station.

Weiss' head sprung up next to Ruby, she squinted as a look of bewilderment crossed her face. "Wh- what? How can you tell?" She asked, puzzled. "I don't see anybody."

Ignoring the soft groan of annoyance Yang released, Ruby leaned close to her girlfriend and motioned towards the sound. "Hear that beepin' noise?" She murmured. Weiss nodded. "That's not from the station." Ruby explained briefly, hoping the heiress would catch on.

"But," Weiss started, sounding no less more befuddled than she already was, "wouldn't they hear that and become suspicious?"

Yang snickered from Ruby's other side, the blonde shook her head in disbelief. "Wow," she exclaimed with a quiet breath, "you really think they pay that much attention, huh? Exactly how many lies have ya been fed?"

Ruby felt irritation swell inside of her chest. "Whose ass have you been sniffin' up?" The brunette snarled in a mocking tone.

Before Yang could answer, Blake cut them off. "You guys coming, or what?" She called through the earpiece, snapping the sisters back to their senses and temporarily cutting the line of tension between the two of them.

Yang scowled in Weiss' direction, paying no mind to Ruby's matching glare and moving over the rocks as quietly as she could, approaching Blake.

Ruby stood to her feet and went to step over the rock, but Weiss' hand came out to grab the back of her outfit. The woman paused in her tracks, one foot gently rested on top of the boulder and the other stabilizing her balance in the snow. Making sure she wouldn't slip, she refocused her attention on Weiss. "Yeah?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Weiss' eyes flickered between Ruby and the station. "I know their routine," she murmured to her with extreme caution, "if we enter now, we'll be captured…"

The younger woman's brows creased and she peered over her shoulder to watch Yang and Blake, she hummed quietly in thought and turned back to Weiss. "How d'ya know?"

Weiss let out a reluctant sigh. "Because I arranged their schedules." She informed her, gesturing to the building with a light nod of her head. "Before I knew that y'all were behind this, I changed everybody's routines and hired more employees because I felt that they were slacking on their job."

A sly grin formed on Ruby's lips and Weiss raised a brow in confusion, "What?"

"You said 'y'all'." Ruby bit back a snicker as horror slowly dawned in the older woman's eyes. "It was the most adorable thing I've ever heard."

"Did you hear anything I said besides that?!" Weiss snapped, her face flushed with humiliation. "It's not _my_ fault! You're not speaking proper English, you dunce!" A slender finger came out and accusingly jabbed Ruby in the chest, "It'd do you some good to learn something from me every once in a while!"

Ruby giggled and raised to her hand to rest it on Weiss' head, giving her a gentle push to hold her away at arm's length. "You look like a pouty puppy."

Weiss glared up at her and swatted Ruby's hand away, "I'm not a puppy." She grumbled under her breath.

"She says with a puppy dog pout."

A sharp, intruding light flickered over to the two of them and was aimed directly into their eyes. _'Glass.'_ Ruby realized, raising her hand to follow the source of the flickering light to see the small shapes of their friends in front of the station. Weiss flinched away and covered the light with her hand, growling inaudible insults under her breath when Yang spoke through the earpiece.

"Stop flirtin' and get ya lovebird asses over here." She sounded pissed off… A sense of irritation pooled in the brunette's chest again and she swallowed her anger, stepping over the rocks and glancing over her shoulder when Weiss tried to follow.

_'Wait. She's a Schnee.' _

Ruby stopped in her tracks again and spun around, gently pushing Weiss back behind the rocks and ignoring her sputters of protest. "If you follow us in there," she whispered as Weiss seated herself down, "you'll be spotted and shot on sight. Maybe not by the engineers, but by the others."

Weiss' brows furrowed, "What others?"

"Ace." Ruby replied dully, "Stay here, I'll signal to you through the earpiece once we got everything."

Without waiting for her girlfriend's response, Ruby quickly began her descent down the hill to join the Scorpions and her sister. She turned herself to the side and allowed herself to slide down through the snow, all while keeping her balance constantly shifting so that she didn't fall.

She glanced back to make sure Weiss hadn't stubbornly followed her, she released a sigh of relief when she noticed that the heiress hadn't moved and was out of eyesight of the Scorpions. _'We need to think up an alternate identity for her so that she can join us. Kalt just won't cut it if she looks like herself.' _

A creepy smirk grew on a young, beefy redheaded man's freckled face as Ruby approached, uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. "Who's ya girl there, Reap'ah?" The man asked, his accent deep and slurred. "She a pretty one."

"None of your concern." Ruby answered blankly, coming to her sister's side. "What's the mission, Ace?"

Ace's smirk grew and he took a sideways step towards the brunette, disregarding Yang's threatening glare. "C'mon," he purred with a sickeningly sweet voice, "we friends, ain't we? Why can't two lil' friends talk about their love lives?" Ruby felt bile rise in her throat, she winced when she caught a whiff of the marijuana on the man's breath. "Friends share, rememb'ah?"

"Unfortunately, I don't." Ruby muttered as Yang nudged her back, putting herself between Ace and Ruby.

A soft click grabbed the trio's attention and a rusted golden lock fell into the snow, half-submerged into the slush. Blake rose to her feet, dusting the white flakes off her knees and turning to face them with a brow raised questioningly. "Well?"

Yang let out a whistle of awe. "Damn, I didn't even hear ya pickin' the lock." Ruby leaned away when she heard the quiet innuendo her sister whispered under her breath. The uneasiness was replaced with nausea.

Blake rolled her eyes. "Probably because those two were talking too loud." She said as she slid the door open to step inside the warehouse. "It's a wonder the employees didn't hear you."

"What about the cameras?" Ruby asked, following her sister and Blake inside, flinching when she heard the sound of an unidentified engine whirring somewhere inside the building. _'Note to self: Bring earmuffs next time.'_ Bitterness twinged at her. _'Although, I hope there ain't a next time.' _

A tall, lanky man with white hair and a dark undercut appeared next to her, towering over Ruby. "I have disabled them already." He said, his words slow and confident. Zero held up a bunch of wires and a shit-eating grin crossed his narrow features, "Their security is really garbage." He carelessly tossed the wires aside and they clicked across the ground, sliding into an empty freight.

Ruby hissed, the hair rising on the back of her neck. "Do you wanna get caught, asshole?!" She growled quietly, "They're just 'round the corner!"

"I don't think we gotta worry about that." Yang whispered, motioning for Ruby to approach. Ruby leaned over her sister's shoulders, her brows furrowing together incredulously. "The workers ain't doing nothin' hardly."

She was right.

The area was littered with workers bearing oil-stained overalls, none of which were actively working and instead sat huddled around the unmoving train. A couple more stood by the train, leaning against the metal crates and laughing as they huffed their cigars. Unopened boxes and crates served as chairs or foot rest, even tables for the cigar smoking occupants. Weapons designated for transportation sat abandoned, metal freights left open and unguarded.

"Well, I'll be damned." Ruby murmured, stepping back and leaning against the divider behind her. The metal creeks with her weight, disrupting the relative silence. She reached up and clicked her earpiece to connect it with Weiss', "Don't seem like the workers are too happy about their new shifts." She reported quietly, thankful that the engineers' obnoxious laughter tuned out their whispering.

"Of course." Weiss' voice replied with an arrogant snicker, "I extended their hours and put them to work."

Peeking around the corner again, Ruby had to bite back a bark of laughter as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, work, _okay_." She shook her head, now becoming aware of the many eyes watching her. "O-oh, um," she paused for a moment, moving away from the workers' specific location, "you said you knew their schedule?"

A tone of disbelief came from the other line, "Oh, so now this is important?"

Ruby's voice fell blank. "Uh, well, yeah. We're kinda inside now, a little insight would be helpful."

"Their shift should be ending any minute now," Weiss informed her, a smile evident in her tone, "the night crew will be arriving soon, but I was told that they always come to work late."

Ruby nodded, relaying the information to the others. "Okay, thanks." She said shortly, switching her earpiece off just as a chiming noise echoed from somewhere towards the front of the building. She glanced around the corner again as the workers rose from their seats, leaving behind their cigars and ashtrays as they exited the room.

"That can't be safe." she mumbles quietly, before shifting her attention back to her comrades. "Okay, what's the target?" She asked Yang as the blonde crept up next to her.

Yang remained silent as Blake and Zero made their way around the side of the train and towards the exit, a subtle caution settled onto her shoulders. "Ace says that the blue freight is our target. The one with the firearms in it." Yang reported as the duo slowly slid the door shut, Blake reached around and clicked the lock before closing the iron door.

The older woman stepped around the divider and Ruby followed, "Machete and Fuse are on the other side to make sure the workers don't come back." Yang explained as Blake tapped her earpiece to let the others know that they were in. Ruby stopped, silver eyes scanning the area as realization dawned on her. They didn't have anywhere to put the stolen weapons, and the train was parked so they couldn't derail it.

"Um, where do we put everything?" She whispered, glancing to Blake as she climbed inside the open freight.

"God, it smells like gunsmoke in here!" Blake examined, instantly hoping out of the freight with a hand over her nose. "I thought these were new?!"

Yang chuckled in amusement and turned back to Ruby, "Don't know," the blonde answered, "Ace gave the look that says we can't question anything."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Are we gonna start the train and chug away with everything?" Although, that option seemed rather extreme.

Zero snickered from behind her, "I like her style." He announced, shaking his head and chuckling. He let out a breath.

"Zero, Reaper!" Ace called to them as he pried open a wooden box closest to the exit. Without looking at them, he gave them instructions; "Go around and make sure that there isn't any additional cargo!"

_'Me?' _Ruby's brows creased as Zero patted her shoulder, _'I'm never on-'_

The man's voice cut her train of thought. "Are you coming, Reaper?" The white-haired man asked, sliding his hands into his pockets and waiting impatiently for her to follow. Ruby nodded silently, following the man away from the train and into another part of the factory.

_'I don't like this.'_ Ruby thought, clicking the light on her phone to search the room for any unmoved cargo. Dread settled in the pit of her stomach as she moved through the dark room, coming to realize that Zero wasn't anywhere near her. _'Where the hell did he go?'_ Her eyes came to rest on the sight of a half-empty metal crate and she approached it, quickly checking the logo and sighing in reluctance upon seeing the Schnee emblem. _'This is going to cost her company a lot of money.'_

"Have you found anything?" Zero called from somewhere in the room, sending chills up Ruby's spine.

Ruby brushed the lid of the box open, "Yeah," she responded, "looks like some inactive bombs." She shone her light into the crate, examining the explosive devices intently. She released a puzzled hum, noticing that they lacked the Schnee logo. Perhaps they hadn't bothered with them? Unlikely, though. "Don't have the Schnee mark-"

"_RUBY_!"

Ruby flinched, every nerve and muscle in her body straining and her ears rang; it took her a long second to process the sound of Weiss' voice yelling through the earpiece. Despite her ears ringing, she came up and clicked to answer her. "What?!" She hissed under her breath, dazed by the high-pitched noise.

"You've got to get out of there, _now_!" Weiss answered instantly, "They lead you all here on account of what happened at the-" A loud yelp and scuffling noises echoed from Weiss' end, followed by a barely recognizable grunt that sends Ruby's heart hammering in her chest. "Don't touch me! Get aw-" An irritating, consistent beeping noise replaced Weiss' voice connection suddenly dropped, signalling that the earpiece had been disconnected. Ruby's heart plummeted in her chest, flashes of heat rippled up her back, and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end.

_'No.'_ A small voice in the back of her mind whispered as Ruby's body subconsciously began to tremble. "Weiss?" Ruby tried again, tapping as an attempt to reconnect the gadget. "W-Weiss?" When the woman didn't respond, Ruby spun on her heel to exit the room. "I-I gotta go." She announced to Zero, approaching the entrance as quickly as she could. The fear flickering through her body kicked her fight or flight senses into overdrive, she needed to find Weiss, _now_.

A delicate humming sound caught her attention and the door swung, the iron bar just mere inches away from cutting into her skin. Ruby stopped as the hatch switched shut, locking her inside the room.

"What the fucking hell?" She snarled, turning to face Zero as he sauntered up to her. The tall man clicked a holographic screen above his wrist and another burring noise reverberated through the factory.

"Time is up, Reaper." Zero said casually as he advanced towards her, his hands tucked neatly behind his back. "The Boss says that you have got to go." He shrugged unemotionally and withdrew his pistol, single-handedly aiming the barrel in the brunette's direction. Ruby's eyes carefully glanced towards his grip on the weapon before shifting her attention back to Zero.

_'Recent shoulder injury.'_ She noted, noticing his loose hold on the pistol.

"Is that your way of tryna threaten me?" She asked with the shadow of a smirk itching on her lips. "Because lemme tell you, it's not working."

Zero rolled his eyes, "Is that your way of trying to talk to me out of murdering you, Reaper?" He taunted, his finger resting freely on the trigger. "It will not work. Say your prayers, little girl." He smiled and his finger pulled back on the trigger.

Just as the words left his mouth, Ruby moved out of the barrel's line of shot and shifted her weight to her middle, bringing her leg up, her steel toed boots collided with the underside of the man's wrist and forced it upwards as the gun recoiled, sending jolts up his shoulder and forcibly cracking it backwards. Zero released a loud shout of agony, instinctively reaching to hold his dislocated shoulder.

"Never fire a gun one handed!" Ruby reminded him, using his lack of caution as an advantage and bringing her fist up to thwack him beneath the jaw. Before her fist could strike at his chin, his spare hand came up to grab her wrist.

"Ace does seem to like that little girlfriend of yours," Zero said with a pained grin, malice flickering through his eyes, "I would suggest you keep a very close eye on her. You do not want anything happening to her, do you?"

Rage shot through Ruby like a wildfire, "You little shits!" She screamed and pulled back, twisting her torso and swinging her right leg up as swiftly as she could to crack it against the side of his head roughly. "Leave her _alone_!" A blunt smacking sound reverberated through the room; Zero's hand slipped from around her wrist and his body dropped.

Straightening herself, she poked the unconscious man with her foot. "Shit, uh- okay, uh..." Ruby knelt down and grabbed Zero's limp wrist, tapping the gadget connected to the building and searching through her options. "Where's the door?" She whispered under her breath, "Exactly how techy is this place?"

Finally, she found the holographic image of the door she sat directly across from and she released a thankful breath. She tapped on the image and slid the hatch over, grinning when a clicking noise came from the door in front of her.

_'Sorry dude,'_ she hummed as she slid the small item off the man's forearm, _'but I'm gonna need this. Hopefully you don't have too much of a concussion.'_ She attached the band to her wrist and abandoned Zero's body, starting for the door and hefting the latch up.

As she heaved the door open, she heard the faint sound of footsteps running in her direction from the other side. "There's one in there!" A man yelled when she exited the room, she turned as a beefy engineer raced towards her.

When Zero had powered down the building, the engineers had forced their way inside the room. Yang, Blake, and the rest of the Scorpions were nowhere in sight.

_'Well, shit.'_ Ruby sighed and stepped into a resistance position, lifting her hands just beneath her jawline or more her chest. The man let out an enraged cry and swung at her, his fist focusing on her skull; Ruby dipped beneath his arm and curved her body to avoid the hit.

A smirk came to her lips as the man's eyes widened in disbelief and she clenched her fist, striking at the man full force just as he spun around back to face her. Ruby's knuckles crashed into the mass of his cheek and, having caught him off guard, the man stumbled back.

"Now you've done it, girl!" The man yelled, regaining his balance and throwing another punch at the brunette. Ruby dodged and barely maintained a strategic distance from his hit, turning her clenched hand inwards and violently bashing him in the gut with her elbow. He instantly clutched at his stomach and doubled over, glaring at the brunette as his body quivered. "B-bitch!" He snarled out.

Ruby smiled sweetly, "That's right." She jabbed her arm up and slammed her fist into the side of his jaw. He toppled to the side, flexing his jaw in pain and grasped at his abdomen. "Now I gotta go, bye."

She tapped her earpiece again, stepping over the engineer and speed walking to the exit. "Weiss?" She tried again, praying that the signal would connect again. "C'mon, work." The brunette groaned when she was met by another beeping noise. She felt fury boiling up inside of her, her fists clenched and her nails delved into her palms. "Where the hell are-"

A screech of horror escaped her as the limp body of a man unexpectedly dropped horizontally in front of her. "Fucking hell!" She exclaimed, her breathing labored and her heart erratic.

"Ruby!" Yang grabbed her attention, approaching her with bloodied fists and a swollen, bleeding nose. "There you are! Where'd you go?! Are you alright?" The blonde asked rapidly, frantically checking her over for any potential injuries.

"I'm fine," Ruby replied blankly, still trying to connect her earpiece. She gave a reluctant, heavy sigh. "I didn't go nowhere, Zero locked me in the cargo room."

Lilac eyes widened and a glimmer of red flashed through her pupils. "Did he hurt you?"

Ruby shook her head, "No, he just tried to shoot me, and your nose is bleeding." She gestured towards her sister's face and Yang just grinned, placing her hands on her hips with a triumphant hum.

"Yeah, Fuse got a good kick at me," she clarified, "but I'm sure he'll recover from being slammed in the head several times."

"Wait," Ruby gestured to the puddle of a man behind her, her temples wrinkling together in both disbelief and shock. "You mean that's Fuse?" She grimaced, unable to recognize the once tall, muscular man. To ensure that he was out cold, she gave his ribs a light jab with the tip of her shoe.

Yang snorted again and hummed her affirmative response. "Damn!" Ruby blinked, still comprehending that the limp body before her was her old friend, "Didn't recognize 'em. Where's Blake?"

"She took Machete out of the building, he got a bad hit from one of those engineers, and he didn't have nothing to do with the attack, so she decided to help him." Yang answered, "Should be waitin' outside for us."

Ruby spun around back to confront her sister. "Have you saw Weiss?" She asked, wondering if her girlfriend had entered the building.

"No," Yang answered carefully, "She didn't come in, did she?"

Every nerve in Ruby's body strained at the idea. "I don't have a clue," she murmured as fear twinged in her gut, "she hollered at me that this was a trap and told me to get out… Then she yelled 'don't touch me' and the connection broke."

"Well, you don't seem all that worried." Yang muttered.

Ruby let out a laugh of apprehension, "Am I doing a good job of that?" Without waiting for her sister's response, she turned and stiffly strolled away. "Great! Because if I don't find her in the next five minutes, I'm gonna break fuckin' some necks."

A cold wave of shock collided with Ruby, drowning out her fears and causing the blood in her veins to turn to ice. She stood stock still, mentally finding herself between all doorways and exits of the factory. Her head jerked to the side and towards a single iron door when she heard Weiss' frightful voice reverberating at the back of her mind; Ruby's body began to tremble and she let out a shaky breath as she attempted to locate her girlfriend. She could feel _something_. A chiming noise started within her as if pinpointing the woman's location.

She was snapped back to her senses, finding Yang standing across from her with a puzzled look on her face. Ruby's feet moved on their own, carrying her towards the break room. "This way!" She hollered to her sister, who instantly started after her.

_'Hold on, Weiss.' _

"Ruby!" Yang called, "Where're you going?!"

"I don't know!" Ruby yelled back, focusing on her mental route; the break room was closeby, she could feel Weiss' aura. Sprinting, she slid effortlessly around the corner and pushed off with her foot to break into a quick run. The path in her mind shut off as she approached a familiar iron door, rage coursed through her being and she quickened her speed.

Weiss was behind that door…

Ruby braced her body, twisting her torso and tossing all of her weight against the door, making it shutter on its hinges. Ruby stepped back with a pained grunt, "Ruby, hold on," Yang said from behind her, "let me get the-" She didn't give her a chance to finish the sentence, she charged forward and slammed her previously injured shoulder against the weakened door, jarring it open. "Door…" Yang finished with a heavy sigh.

Ruby grunted and flexed her shoulder, disregarding the searing pain that erupted through her body. "Weiss?" She called, scanning the room for the woman. Her silver gaze landed on the crumpled form of Ace and her eyes widened. "Ace?" She whispered as she warily approached the man, finding that his eyes were wide and glazed over, devoid of life. Blood bubbled out of the corner of his red-stained, gaping mouth, prompting Ruby to look lower-

Her heart stopped. Blood pooled out from the side of the man's neck, staining and recoloring the concrete ground. "Wha?" Ruby murmured, nudging the corpse over with her foot to locate the source of the blood. The body heavily flopped to the side, revealing that Ace's throat had been slashed, starting from a small graze below his ear and morphing into a profound, slanted and gorey gash descending towards his chest.

"Well, he's dead." Yang muttered as she approached the corpse, kneeling down to examine the fatal wound, unfazed by the scene. "Who do you think did this?" She asked, making sure not to touch the body as she stood back up.

"I don't-" Ruby trailed off as her eyes followed small, yet heavy droplets of blood towards a familiar knife.

_"Here." Ruby whispered, handing her girlfriend a sharpened, curved knife. Weiss gave her a puzzled look as she took the handheld weapon, "If you're attacked, just make sure the person's distracted and stab the blade of the knife into their neck, twist it and jerk it back towards you."_

_Weiss' eyes widened, "Wh-why?" _

_Ruby's eyes softened, yet they still shone with worry. "Because I don't want anything happening to you… If it doesn't kill them right away, they'll choke on their own blood."_

"Never mind." Ruby murmured as she approached the bloodied, dented blade. Weiss was somewhere nearby, there wasn't another exit out of the room other than the door they'd come in through. "Weiss," she called to her girlfriend, "you can come out now. It's safe…" Yang frowned and her lilac eyes glanced around for the heiress, she knelt down and picked up the blade. A bewildered look was sent in Ruby's direction.

Ruby waited a few more seconds before calling out again, "Weiss? They're gone."

Hearing a soft, familiar whimper Ruby peered around the corner leading into the pantry room and she sighed heavily, finding the missing woman tucked securely into the corner. Panicked blue eyes met with her silver pair and the brunette knelt down to Weiss' level. "Weiss…"

"I-I didn't mean to…" Weiss murmured almost inaudibly as Ruby gently embraced her, the heiress relaxed ever so slightly against Ruby. Her broken voice caused the brunette's heart to twist with self-guilt. "I'm sorry…"

"You're okay," Ruby whispered in response, holding the trembling woman close, "you're okay…"

* * *

**AT NOTICE: Nothing happened to Weiss, she's just fine, just shaken up. The next chapter will explain what happened.**

****As for Ruby's fights?  
Before anybody says she's out of character; remember that this is just an AU version of the girl who sliced off Tyrian's tail with a shit-eating grin, **and **fired a bullet at Cordovin without knowing whether or not it'd hit her.  
She was meant to win as she had the upperhand in both situations; Zero was not a physical fighter, he was a gunman with a recent injury and he underestimated her. The worker attacked with pure rage, which allowed Ruby to easily overpower him.

Don't worry, Ruby will eventually meet her match.


	15. Hold

I am so, so sorry, I know I just got back but I may have to take another hiatus...  
My mother keeps getting sick and I need to take care of her. Her blood pressures and blood sugars keep dropping, and she's a type 1/2 diabetic, she's been to the doctors but they don't know why she's like this.  
I'm also working on expanding my wolfdog's pen with my Dad outside, which can take a lot out of someone in this horrid heat..  
So if I'm actually at the computer to write, I'm mentally exhausted... Plus, I'm at a loss with what to do with Ice Flower right now.  
**WARNING:** Attempted rape + homicide

_**Chapter Fourteen**_  
_**Hold**_  
**[Weiss]**  
Date: Thursday, March 25th-March 26th  
Stand By You - Rachel Platten  
_Hands, put your empty hands in mine_

_And scars, show me all the scars you hide_

_And hey, if your wings are broken_

_Please take mine so yours can open too_

_'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

_Oh, tears make kaleidoscopes in your eyes_

_And hurt, I know you're hurting, but so am I_

_And love, if your wings are broken_

_Borrow mine so yours can open too_

_'Cause I'm gonna stand by you_

* * *

_"You two light the explosives while I find Reaper… Our little friend has located her for us, hopefully he's restrained the bitch, too."_

_Golden eyes flickered back in her direction and an almost knowing smirk crossed the tall woman's features. "And if you find the little heiress… Kill her, too." _

_Weiss remained as still as she could, watching as the ashen-haired woman disappeared in the building. She couldn't just sit here, she had to do something. The lady was going to kill her… She was going to kill Ruby. _

A light buzzing sound echoed at the back of her head and she opened her eyes, her vision hazy and blurred. Every inch of her body trembled, her eyes wide and locked on the door to the storage room. Somebody was in there... She could hear them...

A nearly inaudible voice echoed through the room, just barely managing to interrupt her line of thought. "Weiss…? They're gone."

_"RUBY!" She shrieked, electrical adrenaline rushed through her body and Weiss threw herself over the slippery rocks, running straight for the building. She had to find her… She didn't know where she was… _

_"Ruby! You've got to get out of there, now!" _

Weiss flinched as the door slid open and she cowered back into her corner, covering her ears in an attempt to block out any noises around her and praying to any god that might exist that they wouldn't see her. He was back... He'd recovered and he'd come to find her. _'Leave me alone.'_ She tucked her knees to her chest, trying to make herself appear smaller so that she wasn't recognized.

_A rough hand darted out from a dark room and grabbed her, snatching her back towards them. Weiss let out a yelp before another hand clamped over her mouth, hauling her back and into the room. Shock struck her for just a brief moment before the feel of a hand wrapping around her waist snapped her back to her senses. _

A vaguely familiar figure stepped in front of her and knelt down, she could hear their voice speaking to her, but she couldn't comprehend what they were saying.

"Weiss?" She knew that voice…

_Feeling an unfamiliar breath breathing down her neck, she reared her head back and grunted when the back of her head clashed with her attacker's jaw. The impact loosened his grip and she tore herself away from him, "Don't touch me! Get away-" _

_She was cut off by a strong fist shooting out to strike her; she found herself on the concrete floor the next moment, stunned and frozen. It took all of her willpower to ignore the stinging, throbbing pain, burning at her cheek. When her vision cleared, she saw her damaged earpiece laying to the left of her. _

"Weiss…"

_'What?'_ She squinted in an attempt to make out the person in front of her; releasing a heavy sigh when she saw worried silver eyes staring back at her.

Ruby... She was safe. Tears stung at the edges of her eyes at the sight of the brunette, a sense of relief embraced her. It was _Ruby_ who was looking for her, calling for her… Ruby was here.

"I-I didn't mean to…" Weiss murmured, her voice low and nearly inaudible. She remained frozen in her corner, her body physically unable to move. If she stood up, she'd crash back down to the floor. Warm arms wrapped around her and she leaned into her girlfriend's embrace, feeling herself relax a little bit. "I'm sorry…"

She felt Ruby heave against her and dread pooled in the pit of her stomach. What if she didn't see her the same anymore? What if she left her?

"You're okay…" Ruby's soft voice whispers as her fingers rubbed gentle circles across Weiss' back, effectively soothing her tense and jittery nerves. Weiss felt weight lift off her shoulders, melting into her girlfriend's touch as her adrenaline faded away. "You're okay…" Ruby repeated as Weiss loosely wrapped her arms around Ruby's shoulders, timidly tucking her head under the brunette's chin.

Weiss could feel her consciousness slipping; she vaguely heard Ruby whispering to her. Strong arms slid under her legs and tenderly lifted her up.

"I've got you, Princess..."

* * *

_A hard kick was delivered just below her navel and Weiss tumbled to the concrete below her, she hauled herself up with one hand, grasping at her stomach and breathing in shaky breaths. It required all of her willpower not to capitulate to the power of the blow._

_Ace knelt down in front of her, roughly grabbing her chin and slamming her against the wall. The grin on his face was sickening, loathsome, and creepy. "Relax, girl, we're just gonna have some fun."_

_"Fuck you." Weiss growled out, discreetly reaching her hand down behind her while the man cackled. Her nimble fingers touched the blade and she folded her hand around it, slowly rotating it so that she'll have a better aim._

_A familiar voice cried out her name from somewhere within the building and Ace's head jerked up with a bewildered look on his face, "Damn it, Zero." He murmured under his breath, his grip on Weiss' neck loosening just a little bit. "You stay here, Pet, I'll take care of ya little girlfriend first-"_

_Rage filled Weiss' veins and she thrusted the blade upwards with a strength she didn't know she possessed. "You won't touch her!" She hollered as Ace's head whipped around to look at her, her eyes widened in horror as the sharp edge pierced deep through the man's neck just below his ear, blood instantly pooling out from around the penetration wound._

_Weiss became rigid and Ace jerked away, the knife still embedded in his neck causing the blade to cut down through his throat and down to his collarbone. Weiss' grip on the handle fell. _

_The man staggered to his feet, crimson liquid trickling from the edge of his mouth as sightless eyes stared at Weiss, all sources of life draining from his body. His weight leaning back, Ace toppled backwards, colliding with the concrete ground in a crumpled heap of blood and flesh._

Weiss opened her eyes, blue orbs flickering around in bewilderment as her mind slowly awoke. Once she returned to her senses, she found herself laying in a vaguely familiar offwhite room. A feeling of familiarity coursed through her and she weakly sat up, she groaned as the room began to spin again and the aching in her gut revealed itself.

"Gah…" Weiss murmured painfully, clenching her teeth and doubling over to clutch at her gut, overwhelmed by the searing agony rushing through every nerve in her body.

Her limbs felt heavy, and each time she moved her midsection, even by breathing, she felt queasy and miserable; it was like her need for air was restricted by only a few short breaths. Her vision blurred and her heartbeat became erratic.

Images of a muscular redheaded man flashed through her mind and her entire body strained; Weiss felt bile rise up in her throat and she released a quiet hacking noise as her gut churned with nausea. She could still feel harsh, calloused hands grabbing her jaw and forcing her to look into his menacing yellow eyes.

She would never be able to scrub away the feeling of his unforgiving hands on her skin…

Weiss let out a heavy, forced sigh and shaky fingers reached to grab the hem of her nightgown. She lifted it up and grimaced at the sight of the bruising imprint of the man's boot on her abdomen.

Suddenly, a chill raced up her spine and blood splashed across her vision, briefly startling the young woman. Her sight cleared and her heart stopped as lifeless yellow eyes stared back at her. Ace rose to his full height and stumbled towards her, his body slumped over and his steps heavy. One limp hand extended towards her-

"_Get away from me_!" Weiss shrieked, tossing herself as an attempt to escape from the man's grasp. For only a second, she felt vertigo move towards her as her body rapidly descended towards the floor. The back of her head collided with the wall and she released a pained grunt, stiffly sitting up to realize that her back had taken most of the impact.

"Weiss?!"

Weiss groaned and pushed herself up to rest her bruised back against the wall, rubbing her eyes as the bedroom door was flung open.

Another splash of blood flashed through her eyes and her entire body froze. She was trembling, her breaths were hard and uneven, and she felt like everything in her body was slowly shutting down, her legs became weak and she sunk down into the corner.

Everything inside of her was _heavy_. For some reason, she also had the strong urge to get up and _run_, to get away from everything and just _hide_, but something told her that if she tried to move she would simply scramble helplessly across the floor.

"Weiss," there was Ruby's voice again, and it sounded like she was right next to her, "talk to me, please. What's happening?"

What was happening? Weiss couldn't recall where she was, everything looked unfamiliar and frightening. Where was her voice coming from? "Can you hear me?" There it was again. Focusing on her, Weiss turned her head towards Ruby's voice, searching for the woman through her blurred vision.

"Alright, tell me what you see." Ruby softly whispered to her, but Weiss was still unable to see her. She barely recognized the shapes and colors in the direction of her voice, she couldn't make them out. "Anything?"

"N-nothing. . ." Weiss cautiously reached her hand out to the disfigured colors in front of her, her girlfriend was right next to her, she could hear her, but where was she? "Ruby. . ." She called out weakly. She felt a calloused hand grab her own and her mind detected the touch as Ruby's. Lunging forward, she wrapped her arms around the woman.

"You're okay…" Ruby repeated soothingly, gently lifting Weiss to her feet and prompting the older woman to slowly but surely return to her senses. "Come on, Snowpea, let's get you cleaned up…"

Weiss huffed a light, yet strained laugh, her frame still quivering. "Don't… don't call-" she trailed off and lifted her head to look at Ruby, sighing in relief when her vision cleared to see warm silver eyes staring back at her. "Okay…"

Ruby moved from Weiss' arms slowly, her fingers just barely running over the length of Weiss' arm. As Ruby left, the older woman staggered back into the wall with a soft thump, curling around herself again and tucking her knees to her chest. She listened to Ruby walk in the next room, focusing on the familiar sounds of her girlfriend living to calm her frazzled nerves. She heard the water begin running and her mind immediately focused on the sound.

Soon, Ruby's rough, but familiar, hands eased back into hers and Weiss lifted her head. Her eyes met with a gentle pair of silver.

"Hey, I have the shower ready for you." Ruby's voice was soft, but cautious with the hint of playfulness. "Boilin' hot, just like ya like it."

Weiss choked out a soft laugh and stumbled to her feet, glancing over her shoulder when Ruby's hand grasped her waist to steady her. Having regained her balance, she allowed herself to be led into the small, already steamy room.

Breathing in the humid air, Weiss let out a sigh of content. She was moved when Ruby's hand gently pressed on her shoulder, guiding her to the toilet and seating her down. "I'm gonna undress you now, okay?" Ruby whispered and Weiss nodded her consent, trying to focus on Ruby's touch as she disrobed her.

_He_ wasn't here.

After a moment, a gentle hand came to grasp Weiss' chin and she tilted her gaze upwards. "I'll be in the other room if ya need me." Ruby smiled, leaning into place a sweet kiss to the bridge of Weiss' nose. "Don't miss me too much, Snowpea."

Weiss scoffed at the pet name and averted her eyes as a light blush crept to her cheeks. Hearing Ruby's footsteps moving away from her, panic rolled through her and Weiss' hand shot out to grab her girlfriend's wrist, her breaths uneven. "No!" Ruby looked back at her. "Don't leave..." Her voice was soft and shaky, dread rising again at the thought of Ruby leaving. "You can… You can shower with me."

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise, but she made no further movements to exit the room. "I don't know if that's the best idea Weiss." She murmured carefully, "I don't wanna hurt you-"

She cut her off. "No, not like that." Weiss gave Ruby's wrist a gentle tug and switched to the hem of her shirt as Ruby came closer. "I just don't want to be alone…" Weiss confessed. 'I don't want to be without you. I'm… Scared.'

Uncertainty flashed through Ruby's eyes and the brunette gave a slow nod, carefully stepping away from Weiss' grip and undressing herself.

Tearing her eyes away from her girlfriend, Weiss unsteadily made her way towards Ruby's shower, using the wall to keep herself upright. Her nerves were still jumpy and her legs felt like they'd give out beneath her at any given moment.

Electricity coursed through her as familiar hands came to rest on her waist, easing her into the shower as if she would lose her balance. The near scalding water instantly poured down upon her, Weiss flinched in surprise and leaned against the shower wall. She heard Ruby join her, but she kept her eyes fixed on the floor of the shower.

Slowly, Weiss opened her eyes and her breath caught in her throat, her heartbeat increased.

Ruby stood in front of her, one muscular arm over her chest, and her eyes downcast. Weiss' hands twitched at her side as she took in the full view of her beautiful girlfriend. She'd certainly both gained muscle and put on some weight since the party...

Ruby's broad shoulders shifted under her stare, and silver eyes met blue, she softened. Weiss wasn't sure if she was even breathing anymore, her eyes wide and watching Ruby move towards her. Her gaze instantly flicked down to the woman's hips and her breath caught again. A careful, gentle hand cupped her cheek and Weiss glanced up to see mischief sparkling in her girlfriend's eyes.

"Keep looking at me like that, Snowpea, and I might have t'a back on my decision to not leave you a quiverin' mess in my bed." Ruby purred.

Warmth spread through Weiss' chest, wondering if the offer was really such a bad idea. Dark hair and darkened eyes flickered through her head, and she shivered beneath the hot water. She shook her head.

No Ruby was right, now was not the time, she should keep her eyes to herself.

Movement caught her attention, Ruby reached over her to grab the familiar blue bottle of shampoo. "Ocean breeze?" She asked playfully.

"S-sure."

After six months of dating, Ruby had made sure that Weiss had her own shower products available for the nights she didn't go home. Weiss was eternally grateful to have such a courteous soulmate.

Soaking her long, thick hair, Weiss moved out of the spray to allow Ruby into the heated water. She smiled when Ruby grimaced in the hot water, dunking her head into the spray and out again. "You tryna burn me alive?" Weiss just chuckled. The brunette grinned from under soaked dark hair and reached to grab Weiss' shampoo from the older woman's hands. She gestured for Weiss to turn around, to which she obliged.

Weiss braced herself against the wall as Ruby lathered the soapy foam into her hair, Weiss sighed into the touch, letting Ruby tilt her head this way, and that, making sure she doesn't miss a single inch of silver hair.

With her eyes closed, Weiss is led back into the spray, then back out for the conditioner, before moving on to washing her body. Mesmerized, Weiss watched as Ruby lathered up Weiss' lufa with her rose scented body wash and moved to let Weiss brace herself against the shower wall again. Ruby offered her a small smile and gently began lathering at her shoulders, rubbing soothing circles into her skin and down her arms.

"Harder." The older woman said softly, and Ruby paused briefly. Noticing this, Weiss tilted her head back to look at the taller girl, stifling a quiet giggle as Ruby's tongue darted out to lick her lips, reeling herself back to her senses. She moved to scrub Weiss's sides, careful not to tickle her, then shifted down her legs.

Weiss stayed quiet and watched as Ruby rinsed her off, taking note of the hunger hidden behind her focused silver eyes. Suddenly the lufa dropped and Ruby leaned against Weiss's body, pushing her further into the shower wall and peppering her shoulders with soft, gentle kisses.

Weiss released a gasp of surprise, but allowed the woman to shower her with affection. "Is this okay?" Ruby murmured into her shoulder, her breath warm against Weiss' bare skin. Her voice held a twinge of worry. Weiss nodded and the brunette continued.

Ruby placed a few more sweet kisses to her shoulders before moving down her spine Ruby settled on her knees and kissed the arch of her spine, pulling Weiss into a warm hug.

"You're okay."

The statement sounded to Weiss like it was more for Ruby herself, than for Weiss.

* * *

Weiss was easily convinced by her girlfriend to have a 'day out'; although, she'd kept insisting that Weiss should wear something simple, and that's where the two of them learned that their definitions of 'simple' varied greatly.

Weiss eventually compromised and ended up wearing an old sleepwear sweatshirt of Ruby's, snow boots, and a pair of leggings, while Ruby wore a plain black, long-sleeved T-shirt, her black leather jacket and blue jeans.

They were very underdressed for a stroll out in the cold of Solitas... But Ruby repeatedly told her that they would be fine, Weiss decided it was best to trust her judgement.

Within a few minutes, she'd be led out to the parking lot, her hands grasping at her sides as an attempt to shield her from the freezing air. Ruby guided her to the truck and opened the door for her, waiting until the woman was inside before shutting the door and jogging around to the other side.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked as Ruby climbed in and quickly shut the truck door, reaching over and sticking the keys in the ignition and turning on the heat. The brunette released a sigh as heat began to flow through the truck freely, "You said that we were going out for some fresh air?"

Ruby chuckled and started the truck, the vehicle whirred to life and mischievous silver eyes glanced over to Weiss, who felt a chill of apprehension race up her spine. "Oh we are," Ruby smiled, putting the truck in reverse and backing out of the lot, "we're just gonna have some fun. Y'know, to get your mind off things."

"Ruby, I'm not having sex in a truck." Weiss deadpanned.

Instantly, Ruby let out a bark of loud laughter and she heaved an amused sigh, leaning into the steering wheel as her giggles died down. She shook her head. "No, no, Weiss, that ain't the plan. Though, I'm not against it." The brunette rolled her eyes when Weiss glared at her in response.

Weiss frowned in perplexity, "Okay…" She muttered as they pulled out into the road, Ruby's eyes now focused solely on the pavement in front of her. "So, where're we heading?" A wide grin crossed Ruby's face and Weiss let out a groan of realization. "Where are we going?" She repeated, correcting herself and ignoring the blush of embarrassment rising to her cheeks.

"Well first," Ruby started carefully, her expression going blank, "we're headin' to see Penny so she'll stop callin' me every ten minutes."

Weiss sat up quickly, a worried look crossed her eyes. "Um, why?"

Ruby's eyes flickered over to her briefly, her brows furrowing. "I dunno," she answered, watching her girlfriend out of the corner of her eye as the woman cautiously sat back, "she just called me, many, many, many times today, I finally answered and said she didn't say much, so I'm gonna check on her.." Ruby paused for a long moment, while Weiss' attention focused on the scenery outside. "Between you and me, I think she just got lonely because she's home alone all the time."

Everything looked familiar… Subconsciously, she followed the route and frowned as the image of a two-story, pristine white house flooded her mind.

"Do you not like Penny?" Ruby's voice snapped her back to her senses.

The addressed woman sighed nervously and shook her head, avoiding eye contact with the brunette. "Ruby, it's not that I don't like her…" Ruby's eyes glanced down to Weiss' hands wringing together anxiously. "It's just… She's not exactly the best at keeping secrets."

Ruby bit her lip and caution rose up inside the heiress. "Well," Ruby replied, her voice high-pitched, "I kinda already told 'er?"

A deafening silence filled the truck.

Weiss leaned back against the seats, feeling defeat wash over her. "Oh, we're doomed." She muttered under her breath, her voice barely louder than a whisper. "You know she works with the General, who in turn is affiliated with my Father, right?"

Ruby nodded. "And your Father is overseas, plus the General don't really seem like a bad guy…" She trailed off, her jaw clenching in doubt. "Okay, maybe a lil' paranoid, but still."

Weiss groaned, "She could tell someone she works with, who would report it to the General, and somehow it will get out. I bet she already told her father-"

"Weiss," Ruby was quick to cut her off, not even taking the chance to look at the woman, "I know you're worried, but trust me, Penny knows how critical it could be. I wouldn't tell 'er if I didn't think she could keep it a secret." She turned off into an unfamiliar driveway, Weiss looked up and around her. Panic surged through her like a wildfire. She knew this place… "She's also kinda the reason I even met you in the first place, so I owe it to her."

Weiss' eyes fixed on a familiar, pearly white building in front of her. Oh no.

"Why are we at my sister's house?" Weiss asked frantically, trying to sink down into the seat as an attempt to hide herself. Ruby locked the truck in park, watching the woman with a puzzled expression. "She has surveillance cameras that can be easily accessed by the General!"

Ruby blinked in disbelief. "... Your sister has a house?"

Weiss glared at her girlfriend, sliding herself into the floorboards to hide from the camera facing the red truck. "Of course she does!" Weiss snapped, "Where do you think she stays when she's off duty?!"

The other woman quirked a brow questioningly, staring at Weiss as she huddled against the dash behind her. "At work." Ruby answered, a small smirk of amusement creeping to her lips. "Also, you're like… So small."

Horror flickered through Weiss' eyes and humiliation brewed inside of her chest. "Ruby!" She shrieked, her face burning as the younger woman started giggling.

Ruby sighed and Weiss felt her heart flutter at the sight of complete, total content on the brunette's face. Ruby cracked a smile. "You look like an upset puppy who just got their food bowl taken away."

Again with the puppy thing…

"A'ight," Ruby offered Weiss a soft, understanding smile, "I'll head in and see if I can find anything for you to wear so you aren't recognized…" With a soft click, she pushed the truck door open and slid out of the seat, looking back to Weiss before shutting the door-

"Greetings!" A familiar voice says loudly from outside, followed by an ear-piercing shriek; Weiss' head snapped up instantly and she proceeded to clamber over the seats to check on her girlfriend. "Are you alright?" She paused upon seeing Penny standing next to the window, wearing a puzzled expression and her eyes downcast.

Weiss let out a sigh of relief, fixing her fingers around the handle and easing the door open, ignoring the cold chill that assaulted her and looking at the woman below her.

Silver eyes glanced up to her from the snow-covered ground. "I'm fine…" Ruby murmured, understanding Weiss' silent question. Ruby looked back to Penny and climbed to her feet, "You just scared me."

Suddenly, green eyes and auburn hair filled Weiss' line of view. "Hello, Weiss!" Weiss snapped back instantly, blinking as an attempt to comprehend what she'd seen. "You two are behaving very strangely." Penny commented.

"Someone's gotta get a bell for this girl…" Ruby muttered, "Penny, could you find somethin' Weiss can wear?"

Penny frowned and stepped to where she could thoroughly examine the heiress. Weiss felt mortification prick at her chest, wondering if she would notice that the sweatshirt belonged to Ruby. Penny turned back to Ruby. "But, she is clothed."

Weiss released a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

Ruby shook her head, "Penny, this is her sister's house. They have security cameras. People, like the General and her Father, can't see us together."

The redhead stared at Ruby for a long moment, "I do not understand… Are you and Weiss not courting?"

"Penny." Ruby muttered blankly while walking away. "Help me find somethin' for her to wear. Now."

Penny followed in suit, it was as if a light bulb appeared over her head. "Oh I see. She does not own clothes of her own!"

Every nerve in Weiss' body recoiled, her blood ran cold and she swore her soul left her. She groaned and sat back, shutting the door in the process and leaning against Ruby's seat. Sure, she loved Ruby, but sometimes she wondered whether or not the mortification was justified.

Weiss' eyes flickered down and she frowned upon noticing a white shape behind Ruby's steering wheel, she rose up with one hand to look at the picture resting against the dash. Her heart did a flip in her chest and an involuntary smile crept to her lips, she carefully reached out to brush her fingers across the image.

It was a photograph Ruby had taken while they'd been out for their second date; an ice skating rink with a buffet attached. Ruby had pulled her aside just before they'd left to eat and withdrew her phone with a happy, yet questioning look in eyes. The grin that crossed her face when Weiss accepted was unforgettable.

Weiss' arms were comfortably draped across Ruby's shoulders, her head tucked under the woman's chin and Ruby's arm wrapped around her waist. Ruby's face was one of pure delight and joy, while Weiss wore a warm, lopsided smile.

Weiss chuckled softly, remembering the jealousy written across her girlfriend's face when she'd found out that Neptune would be joining them so that nobody grew suspicious, insisting that he had no problem with his 'girlfriend' hanging out with her friends with him around.

Blue eyes glanced up to the torn edge of the picture and Weiss snickered in amusement, one hand covering her mouth as an attempt to conceal her smile. The area Neptune had occupied in the background of the picture was torn out.

A knock came at the window and her attention snapped towards Ruby standing outside the door. The brunette offered a tiny smile and held up a navy blue cloak and hoodie.

Weiss smiled back and opened the door ajar slightly, quickly taking the cloth from her girlfriend. "Thank you…" Without another word, she shut the door and sat up to slip it on and across her shoulders, she flipped the hood up to cover her face and tucked and spare strands of white hair back. "That will do…" She murmured, examining herself in the rearview mirror.

A flash of red splattered through her reflection and Weiss jerked back, her eyes widening as dull yellow eyes stared back at her. _'No!'_ A voice screamed at her. Weiss shook her head, glancing downwards as her vision cleared and her chest heaved with adrenaline, she looked up to the mirror again to see her own reflection.

She was safe.

Noticing something move in the front of the truck, her attention flickered towards a familiar woman outside the building, waiting for her.

Weiss drew in a breath and opened the door to get out.

* * *

**If anybody has song suggestions, lemme know**


	16. Tension

! Before we launch into this chapter. I have another announcement to make. !  
If anybody doesn't want to read this, please scroll on. I'm very annoyed and I have the right to be!  
Unfortunately, I'll have to take another writing hiatus. My mother is still sick and she's gotten to where she can't breathe very well, and yes she's been rushed to the hospital for this. This, in addition to her illness she's had ALL YEAR, is apparently beyond foreign to the hospitals. They check her over, find nothing wrong, and send her home while she's still very obviously sick.  
I'm at my wit's end. Yesterday I had the fright of my life because I thought she was gonna pass out and stop breathing. But they send her home "she's fine! :D"  
I'm scared to even go somewhere/get a job/leave her home alone because she could have a medical emergency!  
So yeah, I haven't gotten much writing done in the past few months.  
I'm sorry, but my family comes before writing.

* * *

**_Chapter Fifteen_**  
_**Tension**_

**[Ruby]**  
Date: Thursday, March 26th  
Trying My Best -Anson Seabra  
_I'm holding my breath 'til I can say  
__All of the words I wanna say from my heart  
__If you really wanted I could let you inside  
__It's been so long and I've got nothing left to hide  
__Would you believe me if I told you that I've got flaws_

* * *

Her assumption before had been right; Penny was bored and lonely, so she'd invited Ruby over to play some games, but she didn't wanna admit that she was lonesome.

After making sure her girlfriend was alright with her hanging out with Penny with her around, Ruby retreated to the spare lounge to play _Immortal Frontier_ with her best friend. She did pause the game to check up on Weiss every now and then, not wanting her to feel forgotten. She often asked if Weiss wanted to leave, but the woman insisted that Ruby stay and spend some time with her friend.

The game consisted of two players who played as team partners who went up against other players in the games during battle, they could create battle attack techniques, and exchange abilities for sixty seconds flat. But only if you reached a certain level, she and Penny had learned that the hard way when a giant man in bladed armor defeated them by combining his weapon with his partner's ability. Just one hit and they were struck down!

"Use the double-black attack," Ruby announced, leaning in with her own controller, silver eyes fixated on the screen in front of her, "I'll come up from behind them! I have a plan."

The redhead gave her an 'affirmative' and their screens divided as they separated, Penny's character summoning a shadowy black shape as a shield to bounce their opponent's attacks back at them, as Ruby's character crept around behind the armored reptile creature. Every time their weapon spiraled back to hit them, their armor's strength would decrease dramatically.

With three clicks of her controller, a red scythe-like object appeared in Ruby's character's hands and she activated her super speed, the opponent's weapons were beginning to cut through Penny's shield, weakening her character upon each hit.

As the reptile summoned their final weapon to attack, Ruby's screen became an indescribable blur and her scythe sliced through the weakened armor, draining the scaled character of their life source.

While Ruby and Penny were playing their video game, Weiss managed to find some old clothes of hers to wear. Hilariously enough, they were some of her outfits from when she was eighteen years old. Ruby didn't allow the opportunity to tease her slip by when they discovered that they still fit.

"The last time I wore these, I was eighteen." Weiss murmured, examining her reflection in the mirror and fiddling with the hem of her blue-to-white gradient shirt.

Ruby giggled as she did the math in her head, she moved up behind her girlfriend and wrapped one arm around her abdomen. Weiss' eyes watched her suspiciously through the mirror. "You're twenty-two," Ruby said to her with a devilish glint in her eye.

Weiss scowled at her and she placed her hand over Ruby's, ready to pry it off if she had to. "Ruby. I swear to whatever Gods are listening that I _will_ break up with you…"

The brunette rolled her eyes, unfazed by the woman's empty threat. "You're so _tiny_!" She squealed as Weiss groaned in defeat. "Ridiculously adorable! So _small_, and _cute_! Huggable!"

A tiny smile tugged at Weiss' lips and it didn't go unnoticed by Ruby. "You're lucky that I love you."

A few hours passed during their battles before Ruby had paused her game again to check on her girlfriend, she'd heard her head outside talking to someone on the phone when Penny was reassigning their team. She hadn't come back in… She needed to check on her. Without a word, she'd got up and followed Weiss outside to find her on the back porch swing, tapping away anxiously at her phone screen.

"Weiss?" Ruby murmured, pausing in her steps when Weiss' head jerked up in surprise. "Sorry," she smiled weakly as the woman's eyes drifted back towards her phone, as if she was ignoring Ruby's entire presence. "Who was it?" The brunette carefully took a seat next to her, "Your sister?"

Blue eyes glanced towards her momentarily. "My brother." Weiss answered flatly, clicking her phone off and leaning back. "He's already planning our birthday celebration early," she groaned and rubbed at her forehead as Ruby reached over to place her hand on her knee, Weiss sighed, "he wants to invite his little online boyfriend."

"Whose boyfriend?"

Ruby's head whipped around to see Penny sitting across from them patiently, her green eyes flickering between the two women. "What are we discussing?" She could feel Weiss' ire next to her, having their privacy invaded by the curious redhead. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Penny questioned in perplexity, "Weiss?"

The heiress' eyes were practically screaming with aggravation, clearly hoping that Penny would leave if she ignores her. Ruby let out a sigh and rose to her feet, the swing rocking behind her as the extra weight was removed. "Nothin' important." She answered and Penny's brows furrowed together, "Anyway, I think we've been here long 'nough…" Ruby cast a glance to her girlfriend, whose attention was still fixed solely on Penny. This was about cheering Weiss up and keeping her happy for the day… Ruby had her fun. "We need get goin', Penny."

Penny sat up with an enthusiastic grin on her face, making to follow Ruby. "Where are we going, Ruby?" She asked happily with a little hop in her step.

"Oh, uh," Ruby looked nervously towards Weiss as the woman swiftly approached them, placing herself between the two of them with a blank expression on her face, Ruby wrapped one arm around the woman's abdomen and gently moved her aside, ignoring the growl Weiss sent in her direction. "_Weiss_ and I are goin' somewhere, Penny," she tried to explain, "alone, like a date."

The redhead frowned as an attempt to understand. "A date?" Ruby nodded. "Like the day of the month? Oh well in that case it's March 26th."

"No, no," Ruby waved her hands and a bewildered look crossed Penny's face, "we're going somewhere to, um…" She wrung her hands together, desperately thinking of how she could explain this to her friend, "Well, we're gonna-"

Penny's eyes widened, "Oh, to mate!"

Ruby felt life leave her. She stumbled on her words, forcing herself to remember to breathe. "T-t-o wha…" She shook her head, snapping herself back to her senses. "We're goin' somewhere that you can't come because it's a date for us," Penny continued to stare at her, and Ruby could feel Weiss' eyes burning holes into her back, she nervously continued, "like going to the movies? Spending time together?"

When Penny didn't respond to show her understanding, Ruby let out a sigh of aggravation and dismissed her as politely as she could, "Never mind, Penny, Weiss and I just need some time alone."

"Weiss already left." Penny said, gesturing to the open door and the missing cloak.

Ruby groaned and rubbed her forehead, she placed her hand on the door and faced Penny again. "Stay here. Weiss and I are gonna leave, I'll give ya a call tonight." The redhead just nodded happily and Ruby offered her a tiny, grateful smile. "Thanks." She said, exiting the building and closing the door. As soon as the cold winds struck her, she instantly bounded over to the vehicle where her girlfriend was patiently waiting.

She opened the door as Weiss glanced at her. "Sorry," she apologized meekly, "where d'ya wanna go?" She asked, climbing in to start the truck.

"Home. Not the apartment." Weiss answered stoically, causing Ruby's heart to drop like stone. Their eyes met and the brunette's brows creased in worry, "Take me back to Atlas, if Whitley is already planning the celebration, that means Father returns soon." She let out a sigh, "He wouldn't do so without his Father around, he seems to want his approval on our decisions."

Ruby cautiously nodded and put the truck in reverse, glancing around before carefully backing out of the driveway. She shifted the vehicle into drive, "You keep saying 'our'," she pointed out, pulling onto the road to head towards the Schnee mansion, "you two got the same birthday? You said he's your little brother."

Weiss answered briefly. "We're twins."

* * *

Despite being the younger one, Whitley was the taller twin. He stood a few inches taller than Ruby at her full height, which made Weiss addressing him as her little brother all the more funnier.

The young man had neatly trimmed white hair and a familiar undercut that was brushed to the right side, his skin was a slight shade darker than Weiss' and his eyes were a different shade of blue as well. Despite those differences, the two did share a lot of physical similarities.

Whitley approached the parked vehicle as Weiss' door opened. "What do you think of my new haircut, sister?" The man asked almost smugly as Weiss stepped out of the truck, briefly tensing with hesitation when she looked up at her brother. "What are you looking at?" His voice sounded… Rich? How do you describe a rich person's voice? There was a faint playful tone somewhere in his words.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out." Weiss said immediately, "Why would you do that to yourself?" She asked, pausing her train of thought to gesture towards the man's mess of a hairstyle. Ruby silently came to her side, her silver eyes flickering between the siblings, feeling rather nervous. Should she leave?

Whitley's brows furrowed, "Neptune and I agreed that it would look great on me," he explained candidly, "and I happen to like it!"

Ruby raised a brow in shock and mild disgust when the man ran his hand through his hair exaggeratingly. "You look like a pinecone grew on your head and it was bleached." Weiss spoke up, her brother's gaze glancing towards her in slight disappointment. Ouch. "Does your boyfriend like it?" She asked, making her way inside the building from the cold. Ruby silently followed.

Wait, her brother was gay? Weiss wasn't kidding?

The man shrugged as the door was closed behind them. "I have not shown him yet," he muttered, "but I'm confident that he'll like it." Whitley paused for a second, his forehead wrinkling again. "Speaking of which. Who is this?" He looked at Ruby with lackluster eyes, his expression being somewhat of a dull stare.

The air around them became cold and Ruby felt uneasiness roll through her, she bit her lip as she looked between the two Schnees. Weiss' gaze was hard and challenging, there was a hidden message that Ruby was unable to read. Whitley's stare was a perfect match.

"Well," Whitley said abruptly, breaking the silence, "it's about time Weiss found a partner. I was beginning to wonder if she was aromantic." Weiss scowled at him and the man dismissed it. The white-haired man raised a cocky brow. "_Wo hast du das Mädchen her_?"

"_Der gleiche Ort von dem du kommst, aus der Hölle_." Weiss answered, her brother let out a heavy sigh and his brow twitched. He turned to Ruby.

"What might your name be?" Whitley asked with a friendly voice, catching Ruby off guard for a split moment. Didn't Weiss say that he was Satan in disguise? Or was that just a brother-sister thing?

"Ruby." She answered simply without revealing her surname. "So you must be Weiss' _lil_' brother."

The man's eyes flickered in confusion for a moment upon hearing her accent. "We are twins." He said flatly, turning back to his sister. "You have a bizarre taste in women, Weiss."

Should she be offended? She felt offended.

Weiss' response was snarky, but more mischievous. "That's rich coming from the boy dating a farmhand."

_'Bein' a farmhand would be better than being a former criminal's apprentice.' _Ruby thought absentmindedly, tucking her hands in front of her, wondering if she should leave. _'Kinda the odd one out.' _

"At least he can defend himself," yep, she was going to take offense to that one, "he's been taking classes, and so have I." Whitley explained with a smug grin, "I actually have a class later today if you would like to attend."

Considering he hardly had any muscle on his body, he'd probably begun taking the classes only recently. Ruby's eyes drifted to Weiss and her brows furrowed. So Weiss had been trained to fence for sport, she had little to no combat training, and her twin brother was allowed to learn self-defense?

Well, that seemed a little unfair. It was probably their father's doing. Wait, why did Weiss never speak of her mother? Was she not around anymore? Whitley hadn't mentioned her either.

"Do you know how to spar?" Ruby asked abruptly, now curious to see just how much the man had learned. Afterwards, she could pass what she knew to her girlfriend, if Weiss would be willing to learn.

"Of course I do." The spiky-haired man answered in confusion, "I could bring you to your knees with just a flick of my wrist," she highly doubted that, "but I will not because you are a girl."

Enough talking. His bravado and sexist personality was starting to irritate her.

Ruby stepped into her defense position, a sly smirk forming on the edge of her lips. "Well, let's do it." She was itching for a little spar, and she desperately wanted to wipe the smug grin off the man's face. She would go easy on him, perhaps allow him to think he'd gotten the upper hand before bringing him down. Had he been a little younger, Ruby would not have even considered this as he'd just be a boy, but he was twenty-two years old, someone had to put him in his place.

Perhaps being beaten by a girl would open his eyes.

"Right here?" Whitley asked in bewilderment.

Ruby shrugged, "Fights happen everywhere at any time or place." The man across from her visibly simply stared at her, astonished. "What, ya scared?" She probably shouldn't do this without a referee, but since she'd never really played by the rules anyway.

The man shrugged and reached up to remove his pristine white jacket, tossing it carelessly at his sister, who dramatically dropped it in disgust, hollering that she wasn't a clothes rack. "Don't worry," he said with a smile as he removed his fancy _white_ shoes, "I'll go easy on you." Was everything white in this building?

"Thanks." Ruby smirked as he approached her, she slid her own shoes and jacket off, politely asking the other woman to hold her jacket. Thankfully, it didn't end up on the floor next to his.

Whitley stepped back, moving one foot in front of the other and both feet angled slightly to the side, he brought his fists up, one next to his chin and the other extended in front of him. She examined him for a moment, it was a solid stance. At least he knew that much… Ah well, why not let him have the upperhand for a bit?

Ruby stepped into a purposefully sloppy stance, placing her fists just a bit too far in front of her and jutting her elbows out, and keeping her body turned forward. The man eyed her for a moment, taking note of her posture. Gods, she felt ridiculous! She glanced towards Weiss momentarily, who was watching her with a concerned expression. _'Oh I'll be fi-'_ She was cut off by the blurred image of a clenched fists speeding towards her face.

_'Shit!'_ She narrowly dodged the strike, her eyes wide as she was briefly caught off guard. Okay, so he knew how to throw a punch, maybe she shouldn't get too overconfident. Using the same fist, his hand shot upwards as an attempt to strike her chin, in which she quickly blocked with her palm. She didn't have time to step into a solid stance, she had to do something!

Whitley's right fist came to collide with her open abdomen, she released a soft grunt as his knuckles rammed into her gut and she stumbled back, having lost her balance. _'Okay, yeah, that's it.'_ She slapped one hand firm against the floor beneath her and shifted her weight, taking advantage of her downed position to swing her body upwards before it could hit the floor.

The man's eyes widened in disbelief just before her ankle slammed into his gut, throwing him backwards and putting him off his solid position. Ruby quickly got to her feet, Whitley clutching at his belly with a low, pained groan. She raised a brow, "That's it?" She asked, keeping her defensive guard up as she approached, "Damn, it was really startin' to get interesting."

"Oh shut up," he grumbled as he stood up "you cheated." He pointed accusingly at her, "You're not supposed to land a heavy blow during a spar!"

Ruby shrugged, "I didn't, or else you wouldn't be able to speak or move." Noticing that the young man wasn't moving, her eyes widened. "Oh! Did I really kick ya that hard?" He grunted his response, "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm just used to havin' more of a," Ruby hesitated, "physically stronger… sparring partner… It was only supposed to knock you off your feet..."

"I'm fine." He growled stubbornly, pushing himself to his feet and withdrawing his hand from his stomach.

"Are you sure?" Ruby asks worriedly, her only response was a scowl.

Weiss flipped her ponytail back behind her shoulder and walked towards the two of them, Ruby noticed that the woman had put her jacket on to wear instead of simply holding it for her. Not a bad look, honestly…

She could get used to that. "Well, as fun as that was to watch… I'm grateful to see that you are making something of yourself, _Brüderchen_." Weiss' lip curled as she passed her brother, watching his eyes widen and be replaced by annoyance, still rubbing at his sore abdomen. "What? Did I hit a nerve?"

Whitley cocked one brow at her, "One: We are twins. Two: I'm quite a bit taller than you, so I cannot exactly call you _Big Sister_." He waved his hand dismissively as ire crossed through Weiss' gaze, her expression remaining stoic and devoid of emotion. "What, did I hit a nerve?" The man asked mockingly, "_Little Sister_?" He shrugged.

"Ah," Ruby muttered loudly, grabbing the twins' attention, she raised a brow, matching Whitley's egoistic expression, "so bein' beaten by a girl didn't change your snobby attitude at all. Nice to know." She probably shouldn't have said that out loud.

"Hey," he jabbed a finger at her, "you only won because you cheated."

She smiled. "Really? Well, you seem fine." She asked sweetly, "I'm up for a rematch if you are. I have a'lotta energy to burn and nowhere to put it."

Whitley stared at her for a long minute, she could practically hear the gears turning in his head and see the steam coming out of his ears. "Okay, fine, you win. This time." Ouch, that must've hurt his ego to admit. "Although, I will say that your eyes are sort of creepy."

Weiss answered before Ruby could. "You look like someone set you on fire and tried to put it out with bleach and a hammer." 

Her twin's expression fell blank and Weiss only smiled innocently. Whitley scowled at her. "Bitch."

"Yeah. Come on," Weiss said with a light laugh, Ruby's heart fluttered, "let's head upstairs before my dear brother can humiliate himself any further."

Ruby cracked a smile, following closely behind her through the large, nearly empty mansion. "Ah, c'mon," she nudged her with her shoulder, giggling when Weiss stumbled a bit and glared intensely in her direction, "sorry," she apologized quickly, "anyway," Ruby hopped in front of Weiss, walking backwards with her hands folded neatly behind her back and a grin on her face, "I wouldn't mind teachin' ya self-defense!"

Blue eyes glanced up at her, lacking emotion. "And why would I need to do that?"

Ruby's brows furrowed, "W-well," she murmured nervously, "so you can defend yourself when you're out on missions with us. I mean, I know you trained for the sport of fencing, but-"

Weiss cut her off. "Who says I'll be attending any more 'missions'?" Her voice was almost distant… "If I remain within the safety of the mansion, I will be fine." She brushed past the taller brunette, avoiding eye contact with her. "I don't want to have to _kill_ anybody."

_'And I don't want you getting hurt.'_ Ruby answered silently, closing her mouth.

"Hand-to-hand combat is barbaric." Weiss explained and Ruby fixed her attention on the woman, she let out a sigh and continued. "In the old days, we used _swords_ to fight, it was an elegant, yet strategic, way to battle…" She looked back at Ruby, "Your way of fighting can also be used as a method of physical abuse…"

Ruby cleared her throat, "Well, no, it shouldn't… But," she grinned, "it can also be used as a way to express your anger, or-or just'a have fun! So long as you don't hurt each other of course!" Weiss was watching her with a mildly curious gaze, absentmindedly leading the brunette up the staircase and making sure she didn't trip, "Yang and I used to wrestle a lot when we were kids, it's kinda how I started learning self-defense! She made it into a game!"

She stepped into her defense position and Weiss stopped, "Our favorite game growin' up was somethin' called 'Chucky', it was where if ya got touched, you were an evil doll recruiting your minions. The last one to get touched was the new Chucky." Weiss furrowed her brows in confusion, "Anyway, since there were only two of us, unless we played with some kids Uncle Qrow knew the parents of, we changed the rules up a lil' bit. If you got _touched_, you were Chucky!"

Ruby had her attention now. "So Yang would have me on the offense, while she was on the defense. I had to touch her, and that's how she taught me to throw punches!" She put her fists into position, "A punch to the jaw and the liver was ten points, and I would get to be on the defense." Ruby winds her fist back, a little voice in the back of her head scolding her for doing so, telling her that she was going to make her attack all too obvious. "If I threw a punch like this…" Ignoring the voice, she thrust her fist forth with a soft grunt and took a step forward.

Her fist whooshed past the heiress' head, but not too close. Weiss' eyes widened in horror and she yelped, her body flinched back, her hands coming up and reacting as an attempt to shield the blow. Ruby's words died in her throat and she slowly brought her arm back to her side, "Weiss?" She murmured apologetically, raising her palms to her girlfriend's cheeks. "What's wrong?"

Weiss put her hands over Ruby's, "I'm fine." She whispered, gently pushing her fingers away, "Come on… My bedroom is at the end of the hall."

Quietly, she followed the woman to her quarters and remained silent as the heiress clicked her bedroom door open. Ruby stepped inside, expecting to see an elegant-looking room with some of the most expensive luxury items one could afford, curtains draped snug over the windows and illuminating the room with warm sunshine, spotless marbled floors and neatly decorated walls…

Instead, she was met by a vast, nearly empty room. Sure, there were luxury items placed here and there, curtains draped all across the walls, and a queen-size canopy bed placed to the left side of the room. There was a single arched window and the floors were a sleek marble light blue floor, but it wasn't exactly welcoming… The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were a dull gold color, and the gold lining across the walls of the bedroom didn't do much against the blue-on-blue contrast.

It looked fancy enough, yeah, but… It seemed lonely. Empty.

"What's the matter?" Weiss questioned from her wardrobe, withdrawing an expensive lace blue-grey dress that nearly touched the floor.

"Your bedroom's 'bout the size of my apartment." Ruby commented, slowly approaching her girlfriend as she turned to lay the dress out over her bed, spreading it out. "And your dress ain't really your style..."

Weiss let out a hum, "That's because my father had it made for me so that I will wear it to special events, or for when I head out into the public eye." She paused for a moment. "I loved it when he got it for me," she said slowly, "because it was my nineteenth birthday and I was foolish enough to think he truly cared. I've only worn it twice."

"Weiss..." She addressed softly, tenderly sliding her arm around her girlfriend's abdomen and laying her head on her shoulder, "I'm sorry…" The brunette apologized sincerely, her heart twisted when Weiss ignored her and Ruby began to gently rub circles across the woman's hips.

The woman remained silent and Ruby decided to move it up a notch, she raised one hand to brush Weiss' hair out of the way to gingerly place a sweet kiss on the back of her neck. Weiss placed her hands over Ruby's, leaning her head back to tuck herself under Ruby's chin. "He purchased Whitley his own private jet," the heiress let out a laugh, "but Whitley said I can use it whenever I want because we're twins."

"That's nice of him." Ruby smiled.

Weiss rolled her eyes. "No, he only said that because neither one of us knows how to fly a jet."

Ruby hummed, closed her eyes and slowly started to lean her weight into her girlfriend, descending them towards the bed. "Ruby. _Ruby_. Ruby!" Weiss let out a series of protests, she quickly placed her hands on the sheets, catching herself just in time to roll over on her back so the woman wouldn't fall on top of her. The brunette giggled and shifted to hover over her girlfriend, "What?" Weiss grumbled.

"No more sad." The brunette whined playfully, resting her entire weight on the older woman. An idea sparked in her mind.

"Y'know..." Ruby whispered in a hushed voice as her hands found their way under the woman's shirt, she felt Weiss' body tremble beneath her gentle touch. "That look you gave me in the shower is still burned into my brain."

"Hm," Weiss smirked, tapping her finger to Ruby's nose to push her back. Two could play at that game, though not in the position they were in currently. "Well, I seem to have forgotten everything from this morning..." she started sliding herself out from under Ruby and directed herself towards the center of the bed, she glanced up at the stunned brunette. "Care to remind me?"

Ruby swiftly moves from her place at the edge of the bed and cups Weiss' chin in her hand, she leaned in to kiss her.


	17. Expectations

_**[Chapter Sixteen]**_  
_**Expectations**_  
[Weiss]  
Date: Friday, March 26th  
This Feeling - Chainsmokers  
_They tell me think with my head  
Not that thing in my chest  
They got their hands at my neck this time  
But you're the one that I want  
If that's really so wrong,  
Then they don't know what this feeling is like  
_

* * *

Weiss stirred awake and she opened her blurry blue eyes, finding herself lying beneath a vaguely familiar warmth; a pair of arms tightened around her body and soft, wet kisses were being delivered to the overheated skin of her back. Teeth gently scraped over her neck, sending tremors of pleasure up her spine, as her hair was brushed out of the way, calloused fingers tickling at her skin.

Taking a moment to relish in the feeling, she closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Her fingers dug into the pillow below her as a gentle kiss was pressed against her neck, sending a faint tickle up her back. She hums in acknowledgment and opens her eyes, seeing the wisps of reddish brown and black hair just in front of her, Ruby nuzzles, in a very dog-like way, the older woman in greeting. She had to get up. Weiss moved and the woman behind her released their grip slightly, allowing her to wiggle out of her arms to sit up-

The world spun and Weiss toppled backwards, finding that her entire lower half was practically numb. "You okay?" Ruby asked worriedly, shifting so that she could comfortably hover above Weiss with one hand propped up and the other caressing the heiress' cheek. Weiss lifted her eyes towards the brunette's worried silver pair. "You were out for a few…"

"What did you do to me?" Weiss asked, her hoarse voice laced with exhaustion and annoyance. "I can't feel my legs."

Ruby giggled and leaned down to give her lips a sweet peck, Weiss let out a quiet sigh. "I only did what you told me!" Ruby said, leaning to the side of Weiss to lay next to her. Their eyes met and Weiss narrowed her brows as the younger woman continued, "I think you made a whole chorus out of _just_ my name when I did that," she chuckled as Weiss' memory slowly resurfaced, "I don't got a bald spot, do I?"

Weiss' eyes widened and she reached out to pop Ruby's forehead, "Dolt! Are you implying that I'm-" She scolded as a blush spread across her cheeks. "When I asked to do that, I didn't mean…" She trailed off. "_That_!"

Her girlfriend frowned at her, amusement twinkling in her silver eyes. "Oh? What didja mean, then? Weiss whined and lowered herself back down, averting her gaze and clutching the sheets tight. "A'ight, a'ight, I'm sorry." Ruby giggled, sitting up to her feet as Weiss looked back towards her. She was ambushed by a front-row view of the younger woman's chest, she heard Ruby purr above her. "Like what you see?"

She looked away again. "_Halt die Klappe_."

Ruby raised a brow. "I don't know what you said, but I'm assumin' it's some kinda insult." She slid out of the bed and Weiss pushed herself up and reached to grab her girlfriend's wrist, Ruby pulled her up from the disheveled sheets. The heiress stumbled into her, her hands coming into contact with Ruby's chest to steady herself.

Ruby's breath hitched sharply, almost fearfully and the brunette tensed up a little bit, shaky hands grabbed Weiss' wrists and pushed her away, her hands coming to gently grasp at Weiss' as a silent apology.

"Sorry." Weiss murmured.

"It's okay… Are you okay, Weiss?" Ruby whispered, her hands resting on Weiss' hips.

"I'm fine." She said as the feeling returned to her legs, she leaned against Ruby's chest for a minute before mustering the strength to move towards her phone. "Whatever you did, never do it again." Weiss scolded, picking up the vibrating phone from her nightstand.

Ruby let out a hum, her brows furrowing together as Weiss blurrily tried to unlock her phone. "Actually," the brunette moved towards her, "I think I may have been restin' some of my weight across your legs, so… That might'a been why you couldn't move."

Weiss glared back at her over her shoulder, her breathing was still heavy. She gestured for Ruby to come closer, irritation brewing in the pit of her stomach. Ruby frowned and leaned in. Weiss popped her hand against Ruby's forehead with an audible smack, followed by a thump to the bridge of her nose. Ruby reeled back with a whine of protest and moved out of her reach, "What was that for?!"

"That was for seducing me," Weiss said.

"But I didn't- you-" Ruby's face turned into one of confusion.

Weiss interrupted her with another quick thump to her forehead, followed by the shadow of a smirk tugging at her lips when Ruby's expression morphed into one of complete bewilderment. "That was just for fun." She giggled and unlocked her phone, "Alright," Weiss whispered as she pulled the screen down, glancing up to her girlfriend when she leaned over to look. She sighed and opened her first text message.

Her heart stopped. "What is it?" Ruby asked from beside her.

There was a consistent ringing in Weiss' ears.

"Weiss?" Ruby's voice sounded distant…

"My father is coming home…" How much time did she have? Her eyes darted up to the side of the screen. She only had three hours left to prepare… No, that's what she'd returned to the manor for! She couldn't perfect her appearance in three hours! She glanced towards the sheets and Weiss let out a loud groan. She couldn't shower, get dressed _and_ have time to refresh the sheets in under three hours!

"Damn it, Ruby!" Weiss shouted, spinning around on her heel and slamming her hand into the center of Ruby's chest, shoving her towards the door. The half-dressed brunette fumbled with her jacket and gave the heiress a weird look, holding her jacket to cover her chest area with a strange look in her eyes. A twist of guilt and hurt pangs inside of her. _'You should know by now that I won't hurt you.'_

She shook her head. "You need to get out of here _now_!" Ruby hesitated and rage bubbled up inside of Weiss. Was she deaf?! "I said go!"

The brunette's face turned into one of confusion and she quietly exited the room, watching Weiss from over her shoulder. The heiress closed the door as quickly as she could and she faced her bed again.

_'Agh!'_ The voice in her head groaned, she rubbed at her temples and released a heavy sigh. _'Okay… I can do this.'_ She glanced back at the disheveled bed sheets.

_'Starting with a quick shower.'_

* * *

The sheets were cleaned, changed.

_Why_ were the sheets clean?

Panic rose up inside of her while she stood at the bathroom door, gawking in horror at the sight of the newly refreshed sheets and blankets on her bed. She'd only been in the shower for barely ten minutes! Someone had entered her bedroom without permission, and now they likely knew… It's not like the room previously reeked of sexual activity or anything.

Whoever changed the sheets definitely knew that something was up. _Someone in the manor could reveal her secret__._ They could expose Ruby… _'No, no no.' _

Maybe she could find whoever did this and bribe them into silence? Fire them? No, her father would ask why she wanted them fired. Actually, how much effort does it take to hide a body and leave no evidence behind? She'd need Yang and Blake's advice on that, and she would _never_ hear the end of it.

Would it be worth it, though? She's already killed someone before…

Her entire body felt cold, an indescribable panic rose in the pit of her stomach.

Her bedroom door creaked open and Weiss' eyes shifted over, opening her mouth to berate whoever had the audacity to enter the room without her spoken permission.

Weiss' brows knitted together and her eyes widened moments after.

A familiar, tall redheaded man was standing in front of the doorway. His eyes unfocused, but staring directly at her. Every nerve in her body tensed as Ace slowly advanced towards her, seemingly becoming taller as he approached. Weiss remained frozen, her heart rapidly beating as her breaths became irregular. She swallowed hard and her mouth opened to tell him off, but nothing came out.

He lifted his hand towards her.

A knocking noise grabbed her attention and her eyes moved towards the door again, her breath hitched and her jaw clenched. "Miss Schnee?" A familiar voice asked quietly, it was Byzan. She shook her head and looked around her room carefully. Ace wasn't here.

She cleared her throat, forcibly relaxing her jittery nerves. "Enter." Weiss said loudly. It felt like her body flinched up as the door opened, she watched in masked horror as the woman poked her head in. She let out a heavy sigh upon seeing her assistant. "What is it?"

The woman met her eyes and stepped all the way in. "I just wanted to let you know that I have put your sheets in the-"

Rage spread through her veins and Weiss moved towards her, cutting Byzan off and backing the puzzled woman into the corner of her bedroom. "Did I grant you permission to enter my room to do so?!" She shouted, the anger she felt was almost like an endless pit of burning flame in her chest. "You _knock_ and if I don't answer, then it's common sense not to come in! I could've been busy!"

Byzan smiled nervously and made a small gesture to the door. "Well, I, uh, I noticed Red leaving, so I figured I would clean up-"

_Red_. Ruby.

"Do not call her that!" The frustration rolling through her ignited, "That is _not_ your responsibility!" Weiss slammed her hand against the wall beside Byzan's head, her eyes widened when the woman flinched. She let out a sigh and withdrew her arm back to her side. She rubbed her forehead and muttered an apology, much to the woman's surprise.

"How do you know her?" Weiss asked at last, having calmed herself enough to properly speak to her assistant.

Byzan cleared her throat, "Well, uh, she's pretty popular amongst Atlesian women. Especially the wealthy ones." Weiss glared up at her as a thousand buzzing thoughts raced through her brain, "I didn't expect for you to be-" Byzan visibly hesitated, "-_into_ that kind of stuff."

Weiss' brows narrowed. "What do you mean?"

The woman clicked her tongue. "Well, I know how Red is-"

"So?!" The fire was returning to her chest. 'Her name is Ruby.'

Byzan tucked her hands behind her back, glancing away from the woman as if she expected to be lashed out at. "Well, you're dating Neptune, so…" She looked back up at her and Byzan's body tensed up as her words trailed off into a whisper. Her eyes widened as she stared at the heiress, Weiss' blood ran cold. "O-_Oh_."

_'She knows.'_ A little voice pitifully whispered, dread coursing through her veins like an electrical shock. "Byzan." Weiss said sharply, almost pleadingly, "_Please_, don't tell anybody else… This needs to remain a secret."

The other woman offered a tiny smile and relief fluttered through Weiss' body. "Sure." Byzan said warmly, before slipping back into her assistant role. Weiss took a step back, straightening her posture and ridding herself of the humiliation she'd felt. "Your brother is waiting for you." Her assistant informed her.

Weiss let out a shaky sigh, cooling her nerves. Byzan wouldn't tell anybody… "Thank you."

Byzan left the room and Weiss approached her mirror to examine her appearance, quickly skimming herself over before exiting her bedroom to meet up with her brother at the front of the manor. She strolled down the hall and the staircase as fast as she could, having wasted a few precious minutes with Byzan.

The knowledge that her assistant knew her girlfriend rang at the back of her head, causing her to wonder just _how_ she knew her… Byzan wasn't one of her clients, was she? She couldn't be. A pang of jealousy twinged at Weiss' heart, bile and irritation rising up in her throat upon imagining the image of her soulmate with another girl.

A girl who just happened to be Weiss' assistant. As likely as it was, she didn't want to think about that.

"There you are," Whitley said from the doors, grabbing Weiss' attention, "did you have a _satisfying_ time?" He asked with a smug expression, adjusting his coat as he descended the steps towards the approaching limo.

Weiss frowned at him, following closely behind her twin, brushing her bangs back when the heavy wind swept them into her eyes. When did it get so windy…? "What do you mean?"

Whitley chuckled and said nothing as he stepped into the limo, seating himself across from Weiss and waiting for the driver to close the door before answering her.

He didn't give a verbal response and simply tapped his neck, he reached up to remove his scarf and offered it to her. Weiss' eyes widened and she grabbed the nearest glass object, observing her reflection in it as humiliation and dread pooled in her stomach upon noticing the dark mark across her neck.

She growled menacingly, accepting her brother's scarf and wrapping it around her neck to conceal the mark."I am going to kill a Rose…"

The rest of the ride was spent in silence.

Whitley tapped away at his phone and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips ever so often, while Weiss stared out the tinted window and watched the world go. A pang of jealousy pulled at her; her brother was allowed to do whatever he pleased on his phone without their father prying into it. Weiss, on the other hand, had her phone scoured every other day by her father. His excuse was 'he's protecting his baby girl.'

After she'd gotten out of the shower, she'd erased all of her message history with her girlfriend and reluctantly removed her from her contacts. She didn't want to block her number, though.

She couldn't risk her father discovering her girlfriend. He wouldn't be too happy… She was his perfect heir.

Well, _backup_ perfect heir… Whitley was rather ill when they were growing up, and he was still undergoing treatment when Winter ran off to join the military. Weiss was his only choice, he'd said it himself that he would mold her into the greatest CEO the SDC will ever know.

In other words, he wants her to follow in his footsteps, and without her ill twin and her best friend, without Ruby and the others, she probably would have…

Her eyes shifted towards Whitley, watching her brother for a moment as he smiled at his phone. She remembered when he'd had his surgery, the days after were some of the best in his life- until they'd realized that the surgeon their father hired made a mistake… The incision became infected, and it affected him for years.

Now, it was like none of that had ever happened.

"How are you feeling?" Weiss asked curiously and Whitley looked up with a bewildered look on his face.

"I'm fine." He answered, knowing what she meant. He looked back to his phone. "I still say that damned 'doctor' should've been hung."

Weiss sighed. "Nobody needs to lose their life over a simple mistake, Whitley."

His brow twitched, "That 'simple mistake' could have cost me my life."

"Miss Weiss? Master Whitley?" The driver looked back at them and offered a smile. "We've arrived."

Weiss leaned over to look out the window and her brows creased together, noticing her father's familiar Schnee-registered private jet making its descent from the skies, the wheels unfolding to make for a smoother landing. The limo came to park at the entrance and the driver exited the vehicle, coming around and opening the door for the siblings.

"Your father will be-"

Whitley waved his hand dismissively, clicking his phone off and sliding it into his pocket. "Yeah, yeah, we know." He said without emotion as they approached the landing jet.

The winds seemed to be stronger here out in the open. Maybe she should've put her hair up in a braid.

A loud, whistling noise erupted through the private airport, followed by the engines of the plane hissing as the wheels came into contact with the pavement. Weiss and Whitley stood a few feet away from the landing pad, the wind from the plane rapidly blew around the two of them, Weiss having to brush her bangs back as her ponytail and scarf flapped viciously behind her.

She heard a stifled snort from her brother as the winds died down, she released a thankful sigh and reached up as an attempt to straighten her windblown hair.

"You look like you just walked through a windstorm, Weiss." Her brother said smugly from beside her, running his hand through his short, perfectly styled hair. "My haircut isn't so foolish now, is it?"

Weiss glared at him, finally having gotten her bangs brushed back. "You're right," she smiled, giving her brother's ego a boost, "it gets more ridiculous the more you look at it."

Whitley scoffed in offense, "At least _I_ don't look like I have a horse's rear end hanging off the back of my head."

Before Weiss could retort her response, the latch of the private jet whisked open and their father made his way down the automatic, custom-made staircase. His hands were stiff at his sides and his cold gaze was locked solely on Weiss, his brows narrowed at a slight angle. Weiss could feel the pure rage radiating off of him from where she was standing.

Her brother moved from her side to approach their father, "It's good to have you back, Father." He said respectfully with a smile on his face. "Weiss and I have begun planning our-" Jacques walked away from him and Whitley's words trailed off, a brief face of disappointment flickering across his features. He straightened his posture to mimic the older man's and followed behind him.

Jacques didn't spare the twins a single look as they walked towards the limo, Weiss whispered a kind 'thanks' to the driver and ducked inside, attempting to sit as far away from the man as possible. Whitley entered behind her, he offered her a look of understanding and scooted himself next to her as their father sat at the door across from them.

A gentle swoosh echoed from outside as the door swung shut. The trio remained silent as the driver climbed in and slid the soundproof window closed.

"Father?" Whitley broke the silence. He sat with one leg crossed over the other and his fingers interlocked, his eyes glancing almost nervously between his sister and Jacques. "Did you enjoy your vacation?"

Ignoring his son's inquiry, Jacques leaned in close to the twins, his eyes fixing on Weiss again. His brows narrowed and Weiss felt a chill race up her spine, sending a cold wave of fear through her veins.

A scowl formed on the man's narrow features. "Care to tell me who your little _girlfriend_ is, Weiss?"

"...What?"

* * *

They'd spent the rest of the car ride in an uncomfortable silence after Weiss refused to fess up to her secret relationship, Whitley had tried to make small talk with their father as an attempt to throw him off his sister's case, but the old man wouldn't budge and barely acknowledged him.

As soon as the limoscene pulled to a stop, Jacques firmly ordered for Weiss to return to her bedroom where he would meet with her. Whitley whispered a quiet apology to her as she exited the vehicle, she simply glared in her brother's direction and reluctantly started for her quarters.

A million thoughts were racing through Weiss' head as she ascended the staircase. wondering how he had possibly managed to discover Ruby. She and Neptune had hidden it so well! At least, she thought they did, was there something they'd missed? Perhaps an agent of her father's stalking them? That was very likely at this point…

Had Byzan given him a call and informed him of the situation?

She certainly would've had the time once she'd pieced things together.

No, she'd never gone behind her back before. Why would she start now? Jacques wouldn't give her a raise for it…

Tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. This likely meant that she would have to leave Ruby… All she'd been trying to do was _protect_ her. Where had she gone wrong?!

She felt nauseated.

The results were endless, and not a single one of them was positive. He could destroy Ruby's life, everything she'd worked for. He could have her framed for a crime she didn't commit and have her imprisoned for life.

Weiss pushed the bedroom door open and entered, letting the door swing shut behind her. She heard it reopen and she looked over her shoulder to see her father glaring down at her in sheer disappointment, he left the entryway cracked and approached her, towering over the young woman.

She swallowed hard and straightened her posture, refusing to look weak in his presence. "_Vater... bitte verzeih_."

He ignored her apology. His voice was judgemental and cold. "You mean to tell me," he started slowly, "that one of my _own blood _is a disgusting _dyke_?" He stepped towards her again and Weiss moved away from him, meeting his eyes with a matching glare. "My own daughter?!"

It took every muscle in her body not to cower under his gaze. "How do you know?" She asked, her voice shaking lightly.

Her father rolled his eyes and his lip turned up into a scowl, "Oh my dear, you truly believed I'd give you free reign over your electronic device when you _clearly_ cannot be trusted? Your move to Mantle was a _test_."

He'd read her texts to Ruby… He'd still had access to her phone… He knew _everything_.

"So what if I am with another woman?" She muttered flatly, allowing the insult to roll off of her back. There was a twinge of hurt inside her heart as she knew he wouldn't care too much if it were revealed that Whitley was gay. "_You_ have a lot of gall addressing me as your-"

Time slowed down as her father's hand shot up, a look of pure rage contorting across his face and his jaw clenching. Weiss caught the blurred image of her father's hand coming up to strike her and adrenaline rushed through her, she reared back just in time and his fingertips came only a few inches from colliding with her cheek.

"Don't you touch me!" She yelled at him, a bit of pride twinging at her heart. "I am not a child anymore, Father!"

"My daughter, my **heir**, _will not _be a freak!" He shouted at her in response, drowning out the confident voices in her head. "If you act like an immature child, you will be treated as such!" The tall man handed her a familiar phone and Weiss' eyes widened, "She's using you, Weiss. Listen to me, _daughter_. Call that bitch of yours and-"

Rage shot at her again. "Do not call her that! Ruby isn't like that!"

Her father's face became eerily calm and he set the phone down on her bed, his voice was gentle. "Ah, young love is such a _beautiful_ thing, isn't it?" He offered a small, endearing smile and Weiss' brows creased. "Love can blind you if you are not careful… Perhaps I shall see to it that those pesky roses are finally cut down, hm?"

A chill crawled up Weiss' spine and dread settled inside of her. No, he couldn't be… "You wouldn't." She said, trying to force the confidence back into her voice as her father approached the door with his hands behind his back. "She's innocent. Father, if anybody should be punished, it should be me! Leave her alone."

He sneered at her, "If you attempt to sneak out to see your _Ruby_ again, if you even so much as _call_ her, she will face severe consequences." The man said as he opened the door. "_Ich werde dich genau beobachten, Weiss. Wenn ich etwas sehe, was mir nicht gefällt, werde ich dir alles nehmen, was dir wichtig ist._.." He glared back at her. "_Anfangen werde ich mit diesem Rose-Mädchen__._"

"Father!"

Without saying another word, he exited the door and closed it behind him, leaving the room in a deafening, unsettling silence.

"_Ich Liebe sie_…" Weiss whispered. "You can't do this…"

There would be no way to stop him.

"No…" Weiss' hand came up to cover her mouth, her body beginning to tremble as tears escaped her eyes. "No!" A surge of rage shot through her like a bullet and her fist collided with the wall, she grunted and retracted her hand, rubbing at her reddeningly knuckles.

He would have her Ruby _killed_. Why did she feel like, somehow, this was entirely her fault? It was… Had she never gone to the Mall…

A soft _'ding'_ sounded from her phone on the bed and Weiss tapped the screen, expecting to see an email. Her heart fell when she saw her text from Ruby.

_'I'm home safe and sound! You okay, Snowpea?'_

She couldn't answer her. She had to protect her…Her heart tightened, feeling as though it was being pulled in two different directions. If she attempted to warn her girlfriend, she could lose her, she'd never have a chance to tell her goodbye.

If she cut contact… Ruby would be hurt, but she'd be alive.

"I'm sorry, Ruby…"


	18. Fog

_**Fog**_  
[Ruby]  
Date: Saturday, March 27th

Ruby swung the apartment door closed with her ankle, holding a bag of take-out food in her mouth and a few grocery bags in her arms. She'd dropped Weiss off at her family's estate and headed straight to town to pick up food, last time she'd checked her cabinets were slap empty. How she and Weiss managed to find something to eat was beyond her.

Had they eaten yesterday? She couldn't remember.

Ruby dropped the bag of food on the table, she let out a yawn and set the groceries down, reaching up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She glanced towards the framed picture on the coffee table by the couch, a little smile pulled at the corners of her lips and she lifted her Styrofoam cup towards her lips to take a sip, her eyes moved towards the clock.

9:37pm.

Now was usually around the time that she and her girlfriend would cuddle on the couch and find something to watch on TV, it would've been her turn tonight. Gods, she'd been looking forward to that…

She quickly put the groceries and grabbed her food, hoping it hadn't gotten cold yet. Not that she wasn't used to cold food, she'd spent nearly two years on it, she just prefers it warm. That wasn't weird, was it?

The brunette made herself comfortable on the couch and pulled the blue and white blanket over her legs, her heart fluttered and she lifted it to her nose. Ah, that's right. This was Weiss' blanket, it smelled like blueberry and lavender… _'I wonder how she's doing.'_ She took a bite of her food and withdrew her phone from her side, clicking it and bringing up Weiss' contact listed as 'Snowpea'.

She tapped away at the screen with one hand, switching the TV on with her other. Her brows furrowed at the sight of a familiar face popping up on the news. "Hey, I know him." Ruby said aloud, brushing her bangs out of her eyes to get a better look of the emotionless man in the corner of the screen.

"-Rosso McCarthy was found with his throat slit open. Investigators are currently trying to locate the person responsible."

_'Ace.'_ Ruby choked briefly and swallowed hard. Weiss was the one responsible… But they wouldn't have anything leading towards her, right? Unless she'd touched him somehow. A burning emotion spread through her chest and she bit down hard on her food. That _jackass _had tried to _touch _her.

He deserved death. Maybe not that violent, but still.

"Erjon Sullevian and Dominic Guerra were also found at the scene." The broadcaster announced.

"Who?" Ruby frowned, glancing at the pictures as they appeared next to Ace's mugshot. Her silver eyes glanced towards the messed up face of Fuse, he wore a look of confusion, while Zero wore an annoyed expression and a shoulder cast.

A wave of guilt pulled at her heart suddenly.

This was all her fault… Had she simply rejected-... This could have been _prevented_, yet she'd _indulged_ her violent side. She was trying to drive away from that side of her, but she had gone in reverse! Gods, what had she done?!

She'd fucked up Zero's shoulder, her sister had likely destroyed Fuse's entire mentality, and her girlfriend had _killed_ a man. People were hurt because of her decision...

No. Ace had tried to… hurt Weiss. Zero was trying to kill Ruby, and Fuse intended on killing Yang… That was an act of self-defense, right? Ruby's hands turned into fists and she doubled over, an unbearable wave of self-blame twisting inside of her gut, dragging her heart down and tremors wracked through her. There should've been a better way than to _hurt_ people!

"Guerra refuses to speak the name of the person who assaulted him, and has no intentions of speaking to the proper authorities," the TV announcer said loudly into the microphone, "Sullevian, unfortunately, does not remember anything of the event and currently suffers from-"

Ruby switched the TV off and drew in a deep, shaky breath. With trembling fingers, she turned her phone on to check the weather, finding that it'll be rather windy tomorrow with a high chance of snow. Considering she works the afternoon shift, she's not all that worried about the roads being blocked.

As her grief settled beneath the surface, the brunette started for the kitchen on wobbly legs. She felt like, with each step, that her knees would buckle beneath her weight. Ruby set the food inside the fridge and moved towards the bedroom, using the wall to keep herself upright as indescribable, heavy emotion barreled through her body.

_'Breathe.'_ She told herself, entering her bedroom and climbing into her bed.

A tremor harshly wracked her body, tightening her lungs as every nerve in her body constricted. She reluctantly opened her eyes, finding herself tucked into a dark, tight space. There was a consistent ringing in her ears, partially drowning out the inaudible noise reverberating all around her.

It was dark…

A sliver of light shone through a crack in the wall and Ruby's feet stiffly moved towards it. She could hear heavy breathing… The light gradually became brighter and larger. There was someone standing in front of her…

Silver eyes stared back at her. _'Mom?'_ Ruby opened her mouth to call out to her, but it only came out as a desperate squeak.

A loud, collateral noise echoed through her head and the shadowy figure of her mother spun around instantly, disappearing from her line of sight. Ruby closed her eyes as the sound became increasingly louder in her ears, wincing with her hands acting as sound barriers.

She shook her head. _'Leave me alone.'_ She told the nagging noise ringing in her ears.

_'It's your curse, little red.' _A little voice said in the back of her mind, sending chills up her spine and paranoia to her brain. She fixed her eyes on the floor and let out a deep breath as an attempt to relax her trembling nerves. She had to get out of here before Weiss saw her… The voice returned, a pitch higher. _'Peril follows you wherever you go… Murders everyone close to your heart.'_

Tears stung at her eyes, her body trembling. The voice wasn't wrong… Her apparent curse had put Weiss in the way of harm so many times, her curse had _killed_ people… There wasn't anything she could do to make up for it.

She'd might as well identify as a coldblooded murderer...

_'I'm so sorry.'_

* * *

A faint ringing noise awoke Ruby from her restless sleep, she blinked her blurry silver eyes opened and leaned over to grab her phone from the foot of the bed. It vibrated in her hand as she desperately swiped at the screen as an attempt to answer the incoming call.

"Miss Rose?"

She recognized the voice as her Boss, Ingrid Jarlson. "Are you available to come in and cover Barley's shift?" Ingrid asked, shouting at someone in the background before returning to the phone. "He called in and said that his wife has gone into labor."

Ruby rubbed at her eyes, "Uh, yeah, sure." She answered politely, glancing over at the time and swallowing a groan. It was 5:56 in the morning… Gods, who went to work this early?! "I'll be there as fast as I can."

"Splendid! See you." Ingrid says before the call cuts short. Ruby let out a sigh and slid off the bed. She would need a shower to wake up if she wanted to be any bit useful at work this morning.

Ruby skimmed through her texts for an update from her girlfriend, her heart dropping a little when she noticed that the heiress hadn't even read the message. Well, maybe she was busy. She was an heiress after all…

The brunette got up from the bed and tiredly trudged to her bathroom for a shower, she flicked the light on and removed her clothes, tossing them across the room carelessly. She needed just a quick five-minute shower, maybe less…

* * *

Ruby rubbed her eyes as she pulled her truck into park, her gaze drifting over to see a familiar green vehicle parked a few spaces away. She let out a sigh and exited the truck, clicking it locked with her keys as she started inside the back of the building. The smell of coffee hit her nose instantly as she entered, placing her belongings in her bag, she looked up as a redhead entered the room.

"Ruby!" Penny squealed, bolting over to her and embracing her in a bone crushing hug, lifting the taller girl off the floor. The brunette let out an 'eep' as all of the air in her lungs were forced out, she felt as though her spine was about to snap, "You're here! Ingrid said I can be your apprentice, we're gonna be working together, isn't that great?!"

Ruby wheezed as she was set back on her feet, needing a moment to refill her lungs with oxygen. She breathed in heavily, clearing her throat. "Yeah," she coughed as her manager walked into the room, "that's great… But why?" Last time she'd checked, Penny worked at a cosmetics store. "Did you get fired?"

"They were looted last night and put out of business." Ingrid explained as she gave the redhead an apron, Penny's eyes lighting up with awe, slipping it on and giving herself a quick examination. "So I offered your friend a temporary spot here!"

She looked towards her friend with a worried expression, "Wait, huh?" She grabbed Penny's shoulders. "You okay? Did it happen-"

She waved her off, "I'm fine, we were all at home."

Ingrid cleared her throat and the young women looked at her. "Get to work you two." She says, gesturing towards the front room. Ruby nodded and started for the counter after applying everything she needed to her side, a notepad and a pen, with Penny strolling closely behind her, "Remember to refill the soda machine! We were told that half of it was carbonated water." Ingrid calls.

Ruby fought the urge to scowl at the older woman. _'Well why didn't you refill it when you got here?'_ She let out a sigh, "Penny, open the doors and take the chairs off the table. I'll refill the soda machine." The redhead gave a brief 'aye aye' and moved towards the door. Ruby opened her mouth to correct her, but decided against it and stepped into the room.

A loud crash grabbed her attention and she turned around, groaning when she saw that Penny had _somehow_ broken a chair getting it down from the table. "Okay." She rubbed her forehead, grabbing a piece of paper from her side. She quickly scribbled down the instructions and handed them to her redheaded friend. "Follow these instructions and refill the machine." Ruby instructed her as the redhead took the paper.

Penny grinned and hopped away. "Okay!" She says happily as Ruby carefully took down a chair from the table, getting the rest of them down before taking the broken one to the back room. Ruby heard the entrance chime and she quickly scurried back to the counter, looking up and her expression becoming stoic almost instantly.

"Hey, Ruby!" Neptune greeted as he approached her with a blonde man with spiky hair behind him, the unknown man's tail lashing curiously behind him. "Can we get a Number #2 with extra eggs?"

"Bacon!" The blonde man called from behind him.

Neptune let out a light laugh. "Sorry. Extra bacon." He gestured back to Sun, "This is my boyfriend, Sun Wukong."

Ruby moves away from the counter to approach the kitchen, calling the order in for Amaranthine to hear. She returned to Neptune, "So where's Weiss?" She asked as the blonde man seated himself next to Neptune, his legs spread comfortably. "I thought you two didn't wanna be saw out together?"

The blue-haired man shrugged. "We decided 'fuck it.' Who cares if people see us together?"

Ruby's hand clutched the edge of the table as irritation pricked at her chest. Neptune glanced to her and his eyes widened as she glared at him, "I can't believe my relationship rests in _your_ hands." She glowered.

He raised a brow as Sun finally spoke, "Bro, I thought you said she was nice?"

"She usually is." Neptune answers, propping his elbows up on the table, "What's up?" He asked curiously.

Ruby's brow twitched. "Oh I don't know," she started with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, "You're pretendin' to be my girlfriend's fake boyfriend, but you don't care if people see you out when your boyfriend." Sun and Neptune shared a glance. "Which'll lead people to thinking you're either cheatin', or you two broke up. Which ain't good for us at all, it means Weiss and I can't be seen alone together!"

"Oh, yeah, uh, sorry about that…" Neptune grinned nervously as a young man exited the kitchen with their food, setting it in front of them and asking if they needed anything else. Ruby glanced up as Penny exited the back, she reached under the table to hand the men their cups. Neptune took his and slid it over to Sun, "Coke." He said plainly as the blonde got up to fetch their drinks.

Neptune leaned in, "There's a small problem," he informed the brunette, "I haven't heard from Weiss in two days, and I'm heading back to my hometown." Ruby's heart drops as realization settles. "I'm really sorry, but unless you two want to break up-"

Her hand hit the table with a loud smack, interrupting the man. "No." She told him sternly, "We'll figure something out." She looked towards Sun, "How long have you two been open about your relationship?"

Neptune grinned. "Oh! About a month now!"

Ruby swallowed a groan of disdain. "You couldn't have warned us beforehand?!" She asked in annoyance as Sun sat back down, "Do you have any idea what could happen if people found out about us?"

He frowned, "Well, nobody's seem to have-"

"That's because you're a dude!" Ruby cut him off, breathing in a deep sigh to relax herself. She continued as calmly as she could, "You're a man who's high in status ranking. They won't care if you have multiple flings."

Neptune's brows wrinkled, "Then how-"

"Weiss is a woman, an heiress. If somethin' happens for you two have split, they'd put the blame on her." Her voice lowers to a whisper as someone else enters, wearing pajamas. "Which means Weiss' new relationship, or even a subtle hint of a new partner, would be all over the news." Her hand clutched the table again, "I wouldn't be able to protect her from that…"

"Why would you need to protect her…?" Neptune asked in confusion, Ruby frowned at him. "If she feels like she's in danger, she can just assign some bodyguards… Tell her-"

She shook her head, clutching the end of the counter to prevent herself from trembling. Her nerves felt cold. "No, no… It's notta' simple as that."

"Well," Neptune grabbed her attention, "I can stop by after we leave and see how she's doing?"

Ruby smiled a bit, "Yeah, thanks…"


End file.
